THE FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE SVETOZAR MARKOVIC STUDENT CULTURAL CENTRE KRAGUJEVAC

The folklore ensemble Svetozar Markovic was named after and founded as one of the sections of the Cultural Artistic Society at the University of Kragujevac in April 1977. The folklore section of that time, due to high quality work and great interest of the young highschool and faculty students,managed to master both the technique and style of a ten-coreography repertoire, thus becoming ready for its independent performances.

From 1981 on, with the engagement of the experts in specific ethno-coreological regions throughout the Yugoslavia of that time (dr.Ivan Ivancan, Dragomir Vukovic Kljaca, Stanimir Visinski, Vaso Popovic...) the criteria for the coreography setting became stricter. Expertness and persistence soon brought quality “stamped” with a golden plaquette at the First Festival of Folklore Ensembles of Serbia in 1982.

The repertoire covers almost all ethno-coreological regions of Serbia and Montenegro,as well as other regions where the Serbian people live and keep their tradition.When the coreographies were set attention was paid to the choice of dances,their authenticity and originality,dynamics and attractiveness,to the choice of music, originality of costumes and instruments, the choice of songs and manner of their performance...The result of this work is an original and attractive program, interesting to both domestic and foreign audience.

 The ensemble has been a guest of all more prominent cities in the former Yugoslavia, and of a great number of the European countries. Our performers have been applauded by the audience throughout Germany, Poland , France , Belgium, Italy , Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Turkey, Greace, Luxemburg, Espana, Bulgaria, Czeska, Canada...

Selected Awards:

2003    Special Jury Award at the Festival in Voru, Estonia

2001    The Second Dance Award at the International festival in Agridento, Sicily

2000    The Best Coreography and the Best Duo at the Festival of Folklore Ensembles of Serbia, Kragujevac

Songs and dances from Serbia                                  Dojcin Matevski

Dances from Timocka Krajina                                  Trajce Simeonovski

Playful dance from Banat                                          Trajce Simeonovski

Komitska dance                                                         Trajce Simeonovski

Suite from Vranje                                                       Trajce Simeonovski

Dances from Macedonia                                           Trajce Simeonovski

Sopska dance                                                            Radisa Radovanovic Cica

Valjevska podvala (Valjevo “fraud”)                       Dragomir Vukovic Kljaca

Skopska Montenegro dances                                   Stanimir Visinski

The dumb dance from Glamoc

(performed without musical background)                  Unknown author

Dances from Stara Planina                                        Dragomir Vukovic Kljaca

medley of dances from Sumadija                              Radisa Radovanovic Cica

Dances from around Nis                                            Dragan Milanovic Gane

Serbian dances from Banija                                      Vaso Popovic

Vlaska dances from Homolje                                    Miodrag Mica Dobric

Dances from Krajiste                                                Dragan Milanovic Gane

Dances from Grmec                                                   Milorad Lonic