Colour, speed and precision

The 14th edition of Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance and Music returns to the Thailand Cultural Centre in September with a programme that’s bolder and better than ever before.
 Starting things off in grand fashion is the Virsky National Dance Company. This is no ordinary troupe. On the contrary, this ensemble is a living and dancing treasury of Ukrainian history, customs, myths, songs, magic, Cossack legends and the hardscrabble lives of its rural peasantry.
The company’s first sparks of brilliance illuminated stages in the Ukraine in the late 1930s. Though it’s taken many steps forward over the decades and expanded its repertoire at every turn, one constant has been that it’s always attracted the brightest local talents and luminaries from other countries.
For these reasons, it was awarded the honourable diploma of the World Peace Council and Friendship of Nations Order, and it’s always been in demand far beyond the borders of Ukraine. All told, the company has graced stages in more than 60 countries. From Vietnam to Cuba and from Venezuela to Denmark, the company has won over crowds.
Over the course of these tours, the Virsky National Dance Company has notched up an impressive collection of compliments:
The French newspaper Provencale wrote: “Especially breathtaking are the gorgeous costumes that play in all colours of the rainbow; the stunning dexterity of dancers and the extraordinary production is impressive. It’s hard to give preference to one particular thing.”
The New York Times noted: “The brilliant performers of the ensemble are matchless. If you wish to fathom the very depths of dance, you really must see the perfection and speed of the women’s dancing technique, the precision of turns, spins, jumps, moves on bent legs and pirouettes that men demonstrate.”
Britain’s Daily Telegraph was even more complimentary, stating in superlatives: “The most dynamic and thrilling folk dance ensemble the world has ever witnessed.”
Supported by Ukrspecexport and Aerosvit Airlines, the Bangkok shows will demonstrate that none of these accolades are hyperbole. Through practice and touring, the dancers have polished these works to a high gloss.
Starting off the show is the up-tempo composition “Ukraine My Ukraine”, a traditional greeting dance for welcoming strangers. This piece is also an astounding travel tale that whisks viewers off on a tour of the country’s different parts, for each region has its own distinctive dances, costumes and customs. Appropriately, the introduction unites them all under the banner of dance and provides a primer for the evening’s entertainment.
It’s followed by “Povzunets (“Crawler”), which is billed as a “Cossack comic dance” and includes staging by the company’s celebrated muse Pavlo Virsky. To be sure, this is one of Ukraine’s most famous dances. Full of strutting and masculine posturing, the dance pays tribute to the courage, pride, freedom and joy of the Zaporozhian Cossacks and their masterful dancing skills.
But the Virsky National Dance Theatre is also famous for its diversity, and its female dancers are just as renowned as the men. In fact, “Volynsk Patterns” is a women-only dance that celebrates the kaleidoscopic costumes and treasured traditions of the Volyn region.
Another dance incorporates tambourines and comedy, while “Moriaky” (“Sailors”) demonstrates the reverence that Ukrainians have for both seamen and the sea. Meanwhile “Chummak Joy” looks at the long and arduous journeys undertaken by migrant labourers in search of work, adventure and a pair of decent shoes.
There is plenty more on the bill for this 60-member troupe when they perform in Bangkok. Famous for their colourful costumes and nimble choreography, the Virsky National Dance Company will bring to the stage all the pageantry, passion and precise choreography of this exuberant dance form that has rarely been seen in Southeast Asia.

The festival is sponsored by Bangkok Bank, B Grimm, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Nation Multimedia, Nivea, SCG, Thai Airways International, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Singha and Toyota Motor Thailand.
  BOOK NOW
- The Virsky National Dance Company performs at 7.30pm on September 10 and 11 at the Thailand Cultural Centre.
- Tickets are Bt700 to Bt3,000 at ThaiTicketMajor.
- For more details, visit www.BangkokFestivals.com.