A picturesque country of fertile lowlands and rugged mountains lies in the heart of Europe, where the cultures of the West and East meet with the cultures of the sunny South and neighboring North of Europe. Rich in its natural beauties, historical and cultural sights, Slovakia is also very rich in national art and folk culture. National songs, music, dances and costumes are manifold and diverse in every region, each filled with poetry and dynamic temperament.

Tales, legends, or superstitions long current among the people. The word folklore was first used by the British archaeologist William J. Thomas in a letter published by the London Journal Athenaeum in 1846. The academic and usually ethnographic study of folklore is sometimes called folkloristics. Folklore traditions are very dependent on their importance of the collective memory of people. In addition, folklore is interwoven with ethnicity, whereby folklore traditions differentiate one group of people, town or region from another which is very much alive to this day.

 

 

 

 

Dance ensembles are usually accompanied with an orchestra which is a small professional group of excellent musicians with brilliant skills and experience. Members of the orchestra are young enthusiasts, both professional and hobby musicians, who have been brought together by their love for music and the joy of performing in an orchestra.