Folklore group KUD Oton Župančič Artiče

The initiative to form a folklore group in our cultural society turned up in 1967. The choir, the tamboura players and the actors had already been active at that time so the folklore group would have variegated their performances. The first mentors were Miha Haler and his wife Marija who had been involved in folklore dancing in Celje during their education years there and had learned a few dances. The Artiče folklore group consisted of seven or eight dancing pairs who began with dances from Bela Krajina and Gorenjska regions. The choreography was done by Tončka Marolt. After a few years of dancing together some members got married and the group fell apart.

In February 1978 the members of the youth organisation wanted the folklore group to be active again so they asked the Haler couple for help. The highest level of their activity was reached in 1983/84 when they could perform eight dances. Their dancing achievements were admired not just at home but also abroad in the towns of former Yugoslavia (Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia).

Since 1986 the artistic director has been Zdravko Dušič. The group started with new individual dances and combinations of different dances. Many distinguished people and choreographers helped them a great deal. The group members took care of obtaining the cloth for national costumes representing Štajerska region. The women costumes were sewn by the dancers themselves, whereas the tailors provided costumes for men dancers. The successful performances inspired the Dušič couple to introduce new dances from Kozjansko and Bela Krajina regions.

We are most proud of the fact that the group had performed in Brežice at the ceremony of announcing the independance of Slovenia on June, 25,1991.

In 1995 the folklore group together with the folk singers and Tourist Board got involved in researching the local tradition of corn – husking. This project presentation has been the greatest achievement of the society because it was exsposed at 1996 International folklore festival in Zakopani, Poland and a year later at Lent folklore festival (as part of CIOFF) in Maribor. In winter of 1997/98 much time was devoted to the research of local wedding customs and traditions. The local fiddlers provided most of information so the group prepared a stage performance entitled »Ohcet pri nas« (wedding tradition in our village).

The group has been appearing on stages in neighbouring towns, all around Slovenia and abroad in Italy, Germany, Poland and Croatia.

In 1997 two children folklore groups were established. Their artistic director became Mrs. Vesna Bogovič. In 2002 the children folklore group of Artiče primary school took part in the International Child Folklore Festival in Ankara, Turkey.

Last three years were very succesfull for the adult group.

In February 2002 we visited Berlin, Germany wwhere we introduced » corn – husking«

The group has also attended the International CIOFF Folklore festival in Velika Gorica, Croatia. The most important was the attendance on Folklore Festival in Tarare, France, where we met a group » Dunedin Dancers« from Edinburgh, Scotland.

In July, 2003, the group was invited to the International Folklore Festival in Edinburgh, where had been also the groups from Poland and Portugal. In Edinburgh we all spent a wonderfull time and enjoyed every moment. We saw many beautiful and historical places such as Falkland palace, Edinburgh, Peebles, Stirling castle - we met a lot of wonderful and kind people there .

In August, 2003, we invited our friends from Tarare, France and organised a small festival.

In year 2004 there were many events and many performances. The most important are:

- April, 30,2004, the performance on celebrating the entering and becoming a part of European Union

- July, 2004,the group had organised the 1 st International Folklore Festival, where participated the group Dunedin Dancers from Scotland, group from Croatia and a few slovene folklore groups.

• September, 2004, the adult group attend the International CIOFF Folklore Festival in Zielena gora in Poland, together with groups from Serbia, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Ukraine and Latvia. It was a very succesfull festival, very well organized and we had lots of performances there.

At the moment there are 70 members in adult group working in 3 various sections and also 45 children working in 3 different sections.

The first adult group is dancing eleven dances from five different regins in Slovenia: Bela Krajina, Gorenjska, Štajerska, Kozjansko and Prekmurje. It has a rich treasure of folklore costumes. vario.

While performing on stage the folklore group is accompanied by folk fiddlers using different instruments as well as by local tamboura players and folk singers.

The success has been based on hard work and the enthusiasm of all the members. But we must not forget all the mentors who should take credit for most of it. They constantly take part in seminars based on dancing, singing, folk music, costums and traditions. The most important are: Zdravko Dušič, Vesna Bogovič, Zdenka Dušič, Lučka Knez and Danica Avšič.