Matryoshkas, Russian dancers from Eugene, Oregon

"Matryoshkas" is a Russian dance ensemble from Eugene, Oregon. "Matryoshkas" is a young and vibrant Slavic folk dance ensemble, one of the most colorful and talented folk ensembles on the west Coast. It emerged only recently but it is already loved and well-known by the local community. All the dances and costumes are created according to the Slavic traditions by two dancers Tanya and Bogdana.
 
Tanya is an experienced dancer who graduated from an Art school with major in Theater and Entertainment. She traveled and performed with Folk Ensembles all over Ukraine. Bogdana is a talented folk dancer who has been a part of the Folk Dance Group for over nine years in Russia. She has also become one of the winners of Far East Dance Competition, Russia in 2001.
 
Ensemble "Matryoshkas" was created to bring quality entertainment and share the beauty and uniqueness of the Slavic culture with others.

Kalinka (Калинка) has a progressive tempo that increases speed with each repetition of the chorus. It is the most popular song in Russia and abroad. And it is also about love as most of the Russian songs. The dancers will wear traditional Russian red dresses "sarafans" and headpieces "kokoshnik".
 
Galya (Галя) is a slow Ukrainian dance that displays the beauty and elegance of the Ukrainian girls. The song called Galya which is a name of Ukranian girl. The song is about a young man who notices Galya watering flowers in the garden and follows her admiring her beauty. He asks her to give him some water. Galya also likes the young man but she doesn't want to respond to his affection right away and asks him to come into the garden and wait till she is done working.
 
Varenka (Варенька) is an energetic Kazak step dance "drobushka". The song is about a young man who fell in love with a girl named Varenka. But he found out that she was cheating on him with an officer. He confronted her but she denied his accusations.
 
Po polu (По полю) is a fast exciting Belorussian dance. The song is about a young man who is looking for his beloved one. She is somewhere among all the other women working on the field. And he can immediately recognize her by the way she moves and walks. The dance is performed in a traditional Belorussian costumes.
 
Kalyada (Каляда) is a fun and exciting dance of the Russian peasant girls. The dancers are dressed in a traditional simple dress "sorochkas" and wear a beautiful wreath as their headpiece. The song that we dance to is over a hundred years old but was revived by the modern artists. One of the things that girls in old Russia were known for is sewing. They made their own clothes as well as the clothes for their families.
 
The dancers are dressed in the traditional gypsy outfits. The dance starts out slow but then picks up the speed with the rhythm of the song. The song is about a young gypsy man who is asking his friends to give him his guitar, pour some wine and bring a girl that sits all alone. Unfortunately, not all his wishes are fulfilled. He got a guitar and wine, but still doesn't have a girl that he dreams of.