The basis for the artistic idea of I Opened Laima’s Garden, the Grand Folk Dance Concert, is the word “VĒRT” [a word which can mean to open and to close, to blossom, and with the addition of prepositions and endings, can mean to thread, to watch]. Games, rhymes, tongue twisters, advice, riddles and folk wisdom will thread beads of knowledge, open gates, afford a glimpse into the world, let people look back at their ancestors, and open new doors.
Laima, the decider of fate, brings together Father, Mother and their children, so children and young people will dance and open the gates of their views, but alongside them will be their big brothers and sisters, mums and dads, who, with their active and creative involvement in the living set design, will complement the patterns created by the dancers. The aim of the concert: for everyone to belong to the Dance Festival through understanding tradition, dance, music and games.
The Gate of Life, the Gate of the World, the Gate of Knowledge and the Ancient Opening will open for around 18,000 dancers from children’s and young people’s — grades 1–12 — dance groups, to express through dance the continuity of the generations and the passing down of folk knowledge, allowing the Blue Flower of Longing. The Grand Folk Dance Concert includes 23 dances created by 20 choreographers from different generations. At the end of the concert, the goal of the XII Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Festival for everybody to dance the ethnographic dance Sudmaliņas will be brought to life.
The dance layouts will be created by Chief Dance Leaders Dagmāra Bārbale, Jānis Ērglis, Jānis Purviņš, Zanda Mūrniece, Dace Adviljone, Agris Daņiļevičs, Ilmārs Dreļs, Iluta Mistre, Guna Trukšāne, Taiga Ludborža, Jānis Kalniņš, Rūta Cīrule, Arvils Noviks, and Dāvis Ērglis.
Project Manager Zanda Mūrniece
Creative Group:
Artistic Director Dagmāra Bārbale
Director Inga Cipe
Set Designer Didzis Jaunzems
Head of Music Kaspars Bārbals
Composer Mārtiņš Miļevskis
Technical Director Mārcis Gulbis
