How did the two of you come to be involved in the world of Latvian folk dance?
Mārtiņš: My parents, Ieva and Kārlis Daukšs, led the Cleveland folk dance group “Pastalnieki.” I began dancing there as a child.
Karīna: The younger “Pastalnieki” dancers are mostly involved through the Latvian school. As the kids get older, they can continue dancing in the adult “Pastalnieki” group. There have been years when three generations were dancing together. I too started dancing in the younger group. In 2007, Mārtiņš’s parents invited me to be an assistant leader, and I accepted. In 2014, I took over the leadership of the group. A year later, I invited Mārtiņš to join me.
Mārtiņš: I accepted Karīna’s invitation, and we’ve been leading “Pastalnieki” together ever since.
Karīna: This year more young dancers have joined us, which has allowed us to take on more complex dances.
How did you come to lead the dance program at the Grand Rapids festival?
Mārtiņš: The invitation came from the festival board, who first reached out to Karīna. She then invited me, and I agreed.
Karīna: I’ve danced both ballet and folk dance since I was a child. It has always been a dream of mine to help create a major dance production such as the Folk Dance Spectacle. The Latvian folk dance scene in the U.S. is very small. I’ve seen how my colleagues—Iveta Asone, Astrīda Liziņa, and Selga Apse—work. We’re all friends. We learn from one another, and we collaborate. This invitation from the festival board was a great honor, and we’re ready to take it on.
Our team also includes Jānis Velkme, who will lead the New Choreography Showcase. He brings a wealth of experience in the folk dance field.
How is the festival program coming together?
The title of the Folk Dance Spectacle is “Skaista mana tēvu zeme” (“Beautiful Is My Fatherland”). It is divided into four parts: “Plaši lauki” (“Spacious Fields,”), “Dzīvnieki” (“Animals”) with children and youth dancers, “Zaļi meži un kalni” (“Green Forests and Hills,”), and “Zils jūras ūdentiņš” (“Deep Blue Sea Water”).
We’ve selected appropriate dances for each section. The choreographies were sourced from books, the Latvian folk dance, and the Latvian National Center for Culture databases. In total, the production will include 25 dances.
The music will be pre-recorded. For some of the older choreographies created in exile, the original recordings were of poor quality. Pauls Berkolds connected us with Gatis Gaujinieks in Latvia, who is both a musician and a sound engineer. He will help restore and improve the recordings.
How many dance groups have signed up to participate?
So far, 11 groups from around the U.S. have registered, as well as six from Latvia, two from Canada, two from England, one from Ireland, and the dance group from the 2x2 youth camp.
Some of the groups include dancers from several generations, which we think is beautiful and truly reflects the Latvian spirit and what the Song and Dance Festival is all about.
Describe your collaboration with Latvian choreographers.
It was excellent. We sent letters requesting permission to include their dances in the production, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Not a single choreographer said no. In fact, several offered improved descriptions or video recordings of the dances we selected.
Tell us more about the New Choreography Showcase.
Any choreographer, whether from North America or Latvia, can submit their choreography for this performance. They will need to provide a description and a video of the dance. However, the final submission guidelines are still being developed. Based on our experience, we expect a good number of entries.
We haven’t yet decided whether the winner will be selected by a jury or chosen by the audience as a crowd favorite. The winner will have their dance performed in the main production.
What are the costume requirements? Are there any rules?
One of the great things about North American festivals is that there are no strict rules for wearing folk costumes. You can wear your grandfather’s boots or your grandmother’s skirt. We say, welcome everyone! Let's dance!
How interested are young people in folk dancing?
In Cleveland, we currently have a large youth group dancing with “Pastalnieki.” They want to dance all the time and often ask us, “Why don’t we have practice this Sunday?” There’s plenty of enthusiasm. We watched the Gaŗezers youth dance at last year’s Toronto festival. It made us so proud! They learned the steps in such a short time and danced beautifully at the festival.
Is there strong public interest in the dance performances?
Yes, absolutely. These concerts are usually very well attended, and not just by Latvians—non-Latvian audiences come too.
Will the two of you be dancing in the festival?
No (laughs). We’d love to, but it would be way too complicated!