Russian balalaika virtuoso Elina Karokhina, singer/garmoshka/guitar player Mikhail Smirnov, and Ukrainian Cossack dancer Serhiy Tsyganok provided 45 min school assembly performance in Santa Barbara, California. The show took place at the Hope Elementary School, 3970-A La Colina Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93110 on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 11:00am.
Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California click the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
The program of both performance included Russian folk button accordion "GARMOSHKA" (Russian: Гармошка) introduction with traditional Russian song "Mountains Of Gold" ("Zlatye Gory"),
Russian folk dance "Barynya",
song and dance "The Snowstorm" (Russian: "Метелица"),
introduction of the Russian string instrument BALALAIKA (instrumental solo of folk tune "Kamarinskaiya" (Russian: "Камаринская"),
Cossack song and dance "Pri Luzhke",
Russian Jewish wedding dance with candles ("Свечки"),
Jewish Bottle dance from the "Fiddler Of The Roof",
Russian Roma (Romani) Gypsy song and dance "Dark Eyes" (Russian: Очи чёрные - Цыганский),
Russian Tongue-Twisters Medley (Russian: "Скороговорки"),
Waltz "The Butterfly" by Vasily Andreev ("Бабочка"),
Russian folk song "Husband Forsed Me" ("Как заставил меня муж"),
Felt Boots ("Валенки"),
Ukrainian folk song and dance "Pidmanula" - "You Tricked Me" ("Украинский"),
"Sabre Dance" ("Танец с саблями"),
Russian folk dance lesson ("Урок танца"),
Russian folk dance "Kalinka" (Russian: Калинка), and other selections.
Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California click the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
Artistic director/founder Mikhail Smirnov played the garmoshka, a Russian-style diatonic button accordion and guitar. In between numbers of the show Mikhail Smirnov shared a little bit of the Russian language with the students. He taught them phrases such as "Thank You" (SPASEEBA), "Hello" (ZDRASTVUITE), "You're Welcome" (PAZHALUYSTA) and "Bye" (PAKA) as well as the alphabet and counting. He said each word in English and then slowly in Russian, allowing the children a moment to try the words themselves after each one. After the segment on words, the students attempted to chatter in Russian for a couple minutes, smiling and laughing about how they sounded. Almost in the end of the performance, Mikhail paused to share a couple of Russian tongue twisters, explaining each one in English first, and then saying them in Russian at top speed. With each one, the twisters got more complicated and lengthy. There was even a chance for a handful of students to get up on stage and try out moves of Russian dance BARYNYA.
Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California click the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
Ensemble Barynya is available for hire for Performing Art Centers, school assemblies, festivals, colleges, libraries, concert halls, restaurants, private and corporate events as one powerful ensemble or in smaller groups.
Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California click the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
VIDEOS
Russian School Assembly, Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California
Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California click the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California click the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
Serhiy Tsyganok, Elina Karokhina, Mikhail Smirnov, Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California click the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
Serhiy Tsyganok, Elina Karokhina, Mikhail Smirnov, Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, California click images above to see full size high-resolution photos
Hope Elementary School, Santa Barbara, CA click images above to see full size high-resolution photos
Elina Karokhina performing Jewish wedding dance click on the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
click the image above to see full size high-resolution photo
Elina Karokhina performing Jewish Wedding Dance
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Serhiy Tsyganok performing Russian Cossack dance
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Elina Karokhina performing Russian Wedding Dance "Metelitsa" (The Snowstorm).
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Elina Karokhina (balalaika) and Mikhail Smirnov (guitar) performing Russian traditional song "Kamarinskaiya"
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Dancer Serhiy Tsyganok, Elina Karokhina (balalaika), and Mikhail Smirnov (garmoshka) performing Russian traditional song and dance "Kalinka"
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REFERENCES
“The group was excellent. They did some interaction with the students. Music was great!”
Mary Kay Hennessy, Principal @ St. Norbert School in Paoli, PA
“This group was great! The students were all engaged and really enjoyed the show. They arrived on time and were very professional.”
Liz Legere, PTO @ Cherry Brook Primary School in Canton, CT
“Very engaging and flexible with time because of our buses.”
Michele Rowland, Asst. Principal @ Rodgers Forge Elementary in Baltimore, MD
“Very entertaining. A nice mix of traditional Russian music and dance with colorful costumes/traditional dress. The students learned some basic Russian vocabulary words too.”
Heather Jeanne, Principal @ Enadia Technology Charter School in West Hills, CA
November 5th, 2020. Virtual performances at the Evergreen Elementary School, San Jose, California
On Thursday, November 5th, 2020 dancers and musicians of Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya presented two virtual performances for the students of the Evergreen Elementary School, San Jose, California. Exact address of the school: 3010 Fowler Rd, San Jose, CA 95135. Forty five min program of each assembly included introduction to Russian language, culture, Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Jewish and Gypsy Roma traditional dancing, music, songs, and virtuoso performances on instruments including the balalaika, garmoshka (Russian folk button accordion) and balalaika contrabass. Cast of performers: dancer Konstantin Tulinov, Mikhail Smirnov (garmoshka, guitar, vocals), Elina Karokhina (balalaika), dancer Elena Notkina, dancer Alexander Rudoy, dancer Katsiaryna Mileuskaya,
dancer Zheniya Berdzinishvili, dancer Vladimir Nikitin, dancer Sergey Tsyganok, dancer Veronika Hunko, dancer Valentina Kvasova, dancer Maryia Zhukovich,
dancer Olga Chpitalnaia, dancer Anna Brovkina, dancer Katerina Brovkina, dancer Irina Kl, dancer Ilia Pankratov, dancer Danila Sherstobitov, and dancer Aliaksandr Anatska.