folk dance group "Pēda"

Young people from Aizkraukle came together for the first rehearsal 15^th december 1988. Only two years later (summer 1990) they got rights to participate in Latvian song and dance Festival which is the most popular Latvian tradition where participate only the best dance groups from whole Latvia. From that time folk dance group "PĒDA" ("the foot") takes part in all further Latvian song and dance festivals and also participates in all regional and international folk dance festivals in Latvia. Since the beginning in 1995 youth dance group "Pēda" is one of the organizers of internetional folk dance festival ”Sudmalinas”.

First time group went on a tour august 1990 to Siberia. The group gave performances in the places where the deportated (in 1941, 1949) Latvians were settled on the banks of river the Yenisei, from Krasnoyarsk as far as the Arctic Ocean. The group also participated in several international festivals in Hungary, Lithuania, Israel, Slovakia, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland and Nepal.

Repertoire of the group includes Latvian original dances. Una Stakle is an art–adviser and choreograph of the group since fundation. Youth dance group participates in ethnographical programms, and also in modern dance performances in cooperation with other dance groups from Aizkraukle region.

All participants in dance group are in the age from 16 to 30 years and they bring together joy of dancing and love to latvian folk traditions.

Music for dance group will be provided by folk music group of Imants Baumanis. Musicians are playing violins, accordion, drum and Latvian folk music instrument – kokle.

International festivals where folk dance group "Pēda" (Latvia) has participated

Vilis Stakle

Manager of Aizkraukle culture centre

Kalna street 20

Aizkraukle LV-5102

Latvia

Telephone: (+371) 5128204

Fax: (+371) 5128098

E-mail: info@aizkraukle.lv