Simply Slavic mission of educating about the history of the Slavic people

On Saturday, June 15th from Noon-12 AM on Federal Plaza East Simply Slavic will continue its mission of educating area residents about the history of the Slavic people that helped build the Mahoning Valley.

But area students won’t have to wait.

Thanks to the generous donation of the Sts. Peter and Paul Croatian Church Men’s Club and Sisters Group festival organizers are able again to offer the (1) Simply Slavic in the Schools program on Monday, June 3rd This year the students at Canfield Middle School will have the opportunity to enjoy and better understand the movement, costumes and dances traditional to the 13 Slavic nations through a series of demonstrations and participatory workshops.

The classes will be taught by Cathy Katrenich, director and choreographer of Living Traditions Folk Ensemble. Regular performers at the festival, LTFE was created in 2000 to keep alive the dances, songs and culture with a repertoire drawing on Polish, Croatian, Ukrainian, Slovak and Carpatho-Rusyn traditions.

This year the workshops will take place on
Monday, June 3rd from 8 AM-NOON at
Canfield Village Middle School
42 Wadsworth Street
Canfield, OH 44406
CONTACT: Jim Volenik - Band Director
330-533-5544 Ext: 3149
JVolenik@Canfieldschools.net

A description of the school workshop is as follows:
School workshop on East European dance
Program is interactive: students participate in singing and dance.
The main topics/activities include:

• Locations of the countries and their cultural connections;
• Costume analysis to better understand how clothing is affected by geography and tradition;
• Movement construction and performance techniques - specifically aimed at kids;
• Performance experiences in Eastern European countries, with musical selections from each country;
• Cultural settings of the music growing up in Eastern Europe and among US immigrant population; and,
• Dance - groups of students are taught traditional dance.
• BONUS: Each year at the festival we are asked by attendees where they can learn the spirited Slavic dances so we decided to give people the opportunity to learn beforehand!

Join us for the Simply Slavic Community Outreach Adult Dance Workshop
FREE lessons to learn the polka, oberek of Northern Slavs and kola of Southern Slavs
will be offered for adults and families
on Monday, June 3rd from 6-9 PM at
Sts. Peter and Paul Croatian Church Hall
21 Covington St, Youngstown, OH 44510
Refreshment will be provided

Aundréa Cika Heschmeyer
Communications Director, Simply Slavic
Director, PolishYoungstown