History

  • To us, the ensemble means never-ending youth, a way of spending our free-time, a gathering marked with regular changes during the time. Dancers join “Grandinėlė” when being little kids; they grow up with traditional dances and music and leave the ensemble. Then the new generation comes to continue traditions of their forerunners and to create their own ones. Each year people join and leave the ensemble, but its members’ amount is always close to 100.
  • Panevėžys House of Culture folk dance ensemble “Grandinėlė“ has a long and colourful history.
  • From the very beginning of ensemble’s existence its leader and choreographer has been eminence cultural worker and ballet-master Zita Šeputytė – Rimkuvienė. She is also a permanent member of IOV organisation.
  • The ensemble was established in 1977 when Zita Rimkuvienė came to Panevėžys for her dissertation practice. She founded children and youth dance circle which had been given a name “Grandinėlė” in 1992. “30 years with the ensemble is a fair amount of my creative and pedagogical work filled with searches and discoveries, joy and disappointment. There were many generations replacing one another during this rushing time and only the moments captured in photographs or videos can bring back to those old days” says Zita Rimkuvienė.
  • In 2004 “Grandinėlė” kept its 1000th concert and during its history the ensemble had participated in 11 republican and world Lithuanian song and dance celebrations. There are 60 international festivals from all over the world in the ensemble’s history:
  • 1978 – 1988 Panevėžys‘ city and its region dance celebrations;
  • 1983 cultural days in Belarus;
  • 1984 cultural days in Daugavpils (Latvia);
  • 1985 republican song and dance celebration in Vilnius (Lithuania);
  • 1987 republican song and dance celebration in Vilnius (Lithuania);
  • 1990 republican song and dance celebration in Vilnius (Lithuania), republican song and dance celebration in Tallinn (Estonia) and Bulgaria;
  • 1991 International folk dance festival in Bielsko-Biała (Poland), world‘s Lithuanian sports game opening ceremony in Kaunas (Lithuania);
  • 1992 St. Maixent (France);
  • 1993 Odoorne (Holland), Reti (Belgium), Totnauberg (Germany), won 2nd place in republican contest „Pora už poros”;
  • 1994 World Lithuanian song celebration in Vilnius (Lithuania), Bielsko-Biala (Poland), Izegem (Belgium) and Lithuanian cultural days in Pinsk and Seiniai (Poland);
  • 1995 Elblag (Poland), Arhus (Denmark), Alnwick (England) and first International folk dance and music festival in Lithuania “Ežerų sietuva”;
  • 1996 participated in 10th Lithuanian folk dance celebration in Chicago (USA), Pavullo (Italy), cultural days in Lünen (Germany), won the 1st place in republican competition “Aguonėlė”;
  • 1997 Istanbul (Turkey), Bliestransbache (Germany), Alnwick (England), Cracow (Poland), won 2nd place in republican competition “Pora už poros”;
  • 1998 World Lithuanian song celebration in Vilnius, Quebec (Canada), Ourence (Spain), Tlaxcala, Puebla (Mexico), cultural days in Lünen (Germany);
  • 1999 Frydek – Mistek, Brečlav, Svatoboriščia – Mistrin (Czech republic), Pavullo Castiglone del Lago ir Matellica (Italy), Alnwick (England), Izegem (Belgium);
  • 2000 11th world Lithuanian dance celebration in Toronto (Canada), Brno (Czech republic), Bratislava (Slovakia), Kartnen (Austria), Ourence (Spain), Tenerife and Las Palmas (Canary Islands), won 2nd place in republican competition “Aguonėlė”;
  • 2001 Klatovy (Czech republic), Karlsruhe (Germany), Thessaloniki (Greece);
  • 2002 Kęty (Poland), Edegem (Belgium), Porkuni Pillar (Estonia), Sale (Morocco);
  • 2003 World Lithuanian song celebration in Vilnius, Porto and Silvalde (Portugal); the same year the ensemble got national award “Aukso Paukštė”;
  • 2004 12th Lithuanian dance celebration in Chicago (USA), Arhus and Odense (Denmark) and national competitions and festivals, such as “Aguonėlė”, “Sodauto”, “Mes ateinam”…
  • 2005 won 3rd place in Llangollen (North Wales), Lviv (Ukraine), Bielsko-Biała (Poland), republican competitions and festivals, such as: “Pynė”, “Gervė -2005”, “Mes – laisvės vaikai”…
  • 2006 Daugavpils (Latvia), Wilamowice (Poland), Salo (Finland), Odoorn (Holland), Istibanja (Macedonia), won 2nd place in republican competition “Klumpė”, the ensemble presented a new program for children “Miško pasaka“;
  • 2007 World Lithuanian song and dance celebration „Būties ratu“ (Kaunas), Samsun (Turkey), Lviv (Ukraine), Daugavpils (Latvia);
  • 2008 Iskele Municipality folk dance festival (T.R.N.C.), 13th Lithuanian folk dance celebration in Los Angeles (USA), The 45th Beskidy Highlanders’ Week of Culture (Poland), won the 1st place in republican competition “Aguonėlė”.
  • 2009 Marjaama (Estonia), Iskele Municipality folk dance festival (N.Cyprus), Calvario, Boticas (Portugal), Polanica Zdroj (Poland),South America Lithuanian song celebration in Buenos Aires (Argentina).
  • 2010 Marjaama (Estonia), Salo (Finland), Internationl Folklore Festival Sofia (Bulgaria), Bialystok (Poland).
  • 2011-Poland, Turkey,Macedonia, Sardegna ( Italy).
  • 2012 – Belgium, Poland, Finland, France, Sardegna ( Italy).
  • 2013-Denmark,Holland,
    Poland, Sweeden.
  • 2014 -Latvia , Poland,Spain ( Cantonigros festival –competition).
  • 2015 –Latvia, Greece, (Hakdate)Japan, Poland.
  • 2016 –Latvia, Slovakia, Argentina and USA

    Folk dance ensemble “Grandinele” is awarded folk song and dance festivals diplomas and souvenirs. In 2003 republican award – “Golden bird” and diploma Cultural ministry, Scholarly and Education ministry of Lithuania.