Name of group: “PEDA”

Young people from Aizkraukle came together for the first rehearsal on 15th December, 1998. Only few years later (summer 1990) they got rights to participate in Latvian song and dance festival. From that time folk dance group “PEDA”( “the foot”) take part in all further Latvian song and dance festivals and also participated in all regional and international folk dances festivals in Latvia. First time group went on a tour august 1990 to Siberia. The group gave performances in the places where the deportated (in 1941-1949). Latvians were settled on the banks of river the Yenisei, from Lrasnoyarsk as far as the Arctic Ocean. The group also participated in several international festivals in Hungary, Lithuania, Israel, Slovakia, Croatia, Italy, Netherlands, and the Portugal. Repertoire of the group includes Latvian original dances and ethographical dances. Una Stakle is an art-adviser and choreograph of the group since foundation of the Group.

Name of the group: “MARUPIESI”

We are “Marupiesi”, a Latvian folkdance group from Latvia. “Marupiesi” is one of the largest groups of middle-aged dancers in Latvia the group composed of 46 dancers, 15 married couples; all together and 57 children. They carry Latvian traditions from generation to generation. “Marupiesi” has been showing the beauty of Latvian folkdances and national costumes at many different festivals, competitions and concerts all around Latvia and as well as in Germany, South Korea, Majorca, Hungary, England and Italy. Latvian Folk Costume. Latvia is a small country on the shores of Baltic Sea, and thought it is situated in zone of a temperate climate; the climatic conditions are rather hard. Thus since ancient times the inhabitants of the country had to provide hard clothes. The necessary materials for clothes – linen and wool – were produced and woven on the spot; therefore the clothes of Latvia’s native

inhabitants were made of local materials – linen, wool and leather.inen was used for men’s and women’s shirts and summer clothes. The other main materials used for making clothes were wool. The threads used in the cloth of the garments were very fine. In the 18th and 19th centuries woolen cloth was mainly used for wearing clothes. Women wore woolen skirts, jackets, waistcoats, that should covers, mittens, stockings, belts. Men wear woolen coats, trousers mittens, socks and scarves. Woolen cloth are used for overcoats, Pure woolen cloth was mainly used for women’s and men’s festive garments. As the adornment areas on Latvian folk clothes were not large, the background of its main part and of the ornaments was white or light grey (till the middle of the 19th century). A brighter contrast of colors can be seen on clothes made in the 2nd part of the 19th century when bright chemical dyes were used. In Latvia in the 1860-ies traditional national folk dress was no more worn. At the time a rapid transition to urban-type clothes took place in all regions of Latvia. Clothes began to be made by specialists – tailors and dressmakers. The specific ethnic national features disappeared. Mutch - head hair ornaments for wives. Crown - head hair ornaments for maids. Crown from flowers – typical head hair ornament for midsummer night festival used by wives and maids. Folk Dance Group “Marupiesi” dance in traditional Latvian folk costumes, which presents the 19th century traditions from all Latvia cultural-historic districts.