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ŠMIDLÁTKA folk group

ŠMIDLÁTKA folk group comes from the Czech Republic. They all are pupils of public Art School in Pardubice, Eastern Bohemia. The members are children and teenagers from 6 to 25 years of age, open to musical intercultural sessions. It is a vocal-instrumental group performing folk music in all its forms. The repertoire includes both traditional folklore pieces performed in regional costumes and younger folk songs not only from the Czech Republic.

The ensemble was established in 2008 in Pardubice with Iva Dostálová as the leader and Zuzana Kmoníčková as the main choreographer and leader of the dance and singing sections, both of the women using huge amount of their artistic potential.

The group objective is to make the children familiar with the basis of the Czech culture and folk art, to integrate youth through playing music together, having fun and rest in a creative way.

The group concentrates on producing thematic musical and choreographic projects (Vandrovala bleška, K Betlému je cesta dlouhá, Housličky nebeský po čertech hezký), musical contests and street performances at folk festivals, and on musical performances free from dancing parts.

During its existence the group has represented the Art School and the town of Pardubice at many major domestic and foreign festivals. In instrumental contests of art schools and children folkloric groups it regularly occupies the foremost places (e.g. the second place prize in the national round in 2009 and 2015). Šmidlátka took part in Forum dětských divadel (Children´s Theatre Forum) in Jelenia Gora 2012 and 2015 in Poland . In 2012 they received the main prize and special diploma Nagroda Terezy Sawickej, then in 2011 a 2014 the group gained the first place prize and diploma of audience in the national round of Dětská Porta competition. Among other diplomas belong: National round of Little Singers competition (folk singing) -the second place prize in 2009 and the second and third place prize in 2015.

In 2014, presenting the Czech culture and exchanging musical experience with musicians from northern Europe, Šmidlátka took part in "Folkmusik intar staden" - the festival in Umea (Sweden), the capital city of European culture for 2014. The rich intecultural exchange continued in 2016 within festival Musical Impressions, Bydgoszcz, Poland and in 2017 with Latvian musicians from Muzikas Skolas Auce.

Šmidlátka = "little fiddlers"

CONTACTS

Základní umělecká škola Pardubice

Havlíčkova 925, 530 02 Pardubice

CZECH REPUBLIC

E-mail:

zuzana.kmonickova@centrum.cz

iva.dostalova@gmail.com