Kidzz Folk association Zemplínik
About Zemplínik
The children’s folklore ensemble ZEMPLÍNIK was founded by Mr. Milan Hvižďák in September 1972. The aim of this children’s folklore ensemble is to collect and preserve the children’s musical and dance folklore from Slovakia, with the focus on Eastern Slovakia. Experienced pedagogues and the active interest of the parents has brought up a huge number of dancers for the folklore ensemble Zemplín, other folklore ensembles and secondary schools with dance orientation. The dramaturgy of the group is based in staging of childish games, rhymes as well as dances and childish songs.
240 little folkloric enthusiasts work on the development of our traditions, the dance section being divided into four groups according to the age. Besides that there is a successful children’s singing choir (20 children) and musical band (10 children). Both of them have done a numerous recordings in the Slovak Radio and have recorded different audio-carriers.
Zemplínik group has studied 62 choreographies, numerous songs and over 18 particular full-length programmes. It has had more than 1000 public performances in Slovakia and around 120 performances abroad (Ukraine, Spain, France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Turkey, Hungary, Poland, The Czech Republic). Zemplínik group is a regular participant of the district and national rounds of folklore competitions and festivals and it has been awarded the Laureate of the Competition Award several times. Folklore festivals: Východná, Heľpa, Detva, Likavka, Levoča, Dulovce, Medzilaborce, Košice, Zemplín feast Michalovce, Upper-Zemplín feast Vranov nad Topľou and others. Every year the group organizes teaching workshops for the students of primary and secondary schools within the Zemplín region.
A number of pedagogues have been working in the sections of the group over the years of its existence. Dance group: Viera Lukáčová, Oľga Piroháčová, Miroslav Benda. Musical band: Ivan Žecik, Mariana Baranová, Miroslav Dufinec, Ľubomír Buraš. Singing choir: Július Šuhaj, Irenka Dzvoníková (who worked as the choir leader for 30 years and significantly contributed to the artistic growth of the choir).
Artistic leadership of the ensemble:
- Milan HVIŽĎÁK
- Artistic director and choreographer
- Ing. Radoslav GAJDOŠ
- Group manager and leader of the musical band
- Martin PADO
- Choir leader
- Mgr. Peter CICÁK
- Dance pedagogue and choreographer
- Marína GREGOVÁ
- Dance pedagogue a choreographer
- Mgr. Zuzana MARCINOVÁ
- Dance pedagogue
- Ing. Martin KOŠČO
- Group répétiteur
- Marianna KOŠČOVÁ
- Costumes designer
- Dušan PULKO
- Group répétiteur
