Glenwood Springs, Colorado | Post Independent
 
Glenwood Springs, Colorado | Post Independent
advertisement | your ad here
Deals in your inbox
 GO
 
Event Calendar
Submit an Event»
 
VIEW ALL EVENTS >
 
Top Jobs
 
advertisement | your ad here
Entertainment > Music 
Send us your news
Friday, October 24, 2008

Barynya comes to Glenwood

All Glenwood Community Concert events are at 7 p.m. this year

By Stina Sieg
Post Independent Staff
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado


Print
Copyright 2012 Glenwood Springs Post Independent. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. October, 23 2008 6:13 pm

Barynya comes to Glenwood

All Glenwood Community Concert events are at 7 p.m. this year

Russian folk dance and music troupe, Barynya, will kick up its heels Tuesday night in Glenwood — and kick off the start of the Glenwood Community Concert Association’s season.
Russian folk dance and music troupe, Barynya, will kick up its heels Tuesday night in Glenwood — and kick off the start of the Glenwood Community Concert Association’s season.ENLARGE
Russian folk dance and music troupe, Barynya, will kick up its heels Tuesday night in Glenwood — and kick off the start of the Glenwood Community Concert Association’s season.
Courtesy photo
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — In a way, it doesn’t matter where Mikhail Smirnov and his troupe of Russian folk dancers and musicians go — they get the same kind of reaction everywhere. And it’s one of absolute fascination. For nearly the last 20 years, Barynya, in which Smirnov is a musician and artistic director, has traveled as far as China, Canada and England. Currently, it’s on a two-month, 40-stop tour of the United States. All over, this Russian-born U.S. citizen senses the same kind of fascination from folks. Audiences just eat up the music, costumes and dance — and Smirnov couldn’t be happier about it. This troupe has been his life for more than 1,000 performances so far, after all.

When did you first know you were a performer?

“I was performing since I was a little child, and when I was little, I was in a boy’s choir in Moscow and then I went to the University of Culture and Arts as a choir director. And in the United States I founded this group in 1991.”

What do you love about singing, dancing?

“The traditional music and dancing is like a universal language. … Russian dancing is very happy and energetic, and it’s a very fun performance. So nobody cries. It’s just kind of educational and dancing and fun fore everyone. … It’s like a good salad. Everybody wants that.”

Why did you start Barynya?

“This is the only thing I can do, pretty much, so I had no choice. It was my training at the University to do the traditional singing and dancing, so that’s why I started the group.”
A dose of Russian folk
What: Barynya, a Russian folk dance and music ensemble, the first show of the season for the Glenwood Springs Community Concert Association
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: The Glenwood Springs High School Auditorium
Tickets: Admission is given to season ticket holder, and a select number of such tickets will be available at the show for $35 per adult and $80 per family. Season members can see the upcoming shows: Cherish the Ladies, a Celtic quintet (Nov. 16); Joe Trio, cello, piano and violin (Jan. 29); Spanish Brass, artistic brass quintet (March 20) and Romanza, three tenors (May 11).
More information: On the Community Concert Association, call 945-0668. On Barynya, visit www.barynya.com.
Why? When was the last time you got a good dose of Russian folk culture? Exactly.


What kind of show can people expect this Tuesday?

“They will see about 100 different costumes, and we have costume characters, Russian bear, gypsy fortune teller. We have Siberian fighters. It’s a very interesting show. We get to utilize one, two, three, four, five folk instruments during the show.”

Do you have a favorite instrument you get to play?

“Yes, my favorite instrument is garmoshka (Russian folk accordion). It’s very easy to play (laughing).”

Do you have a favorite character in the show?

“It’s a Russian bear. The Russian bear, when he comes out on the stage and starts dancing. It’s a huge doll, our biggest dancer is hiding inside of the bear. He goes out into the audience and people just love it. Especially kids.”

Where was your favorite place you’ve traveled with Barynya?

“I think Colorado is going to be our favorite. We’re heard about the hot springs, and it sounds like a very interesting place.”

What’s been your favorite experience touring so far?

“On Sept. 18, we performed at the gala at the (National) Constitutional Center in Philadelphia, and former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded a medal of peace and $100,000, and the older Bush, the good Bush, was there. It was a huge gala dinner, and we were the main attraction.”

What do you want people to take away from one of your shows?

“After the show, people will be able to know what Russian folk culture is like because we’re going to show them everything. We are going to show them dancing. We are going to show them instruments. We are going to show them everything. We are going to show them everything about Russian culture, traditional culture.”




© 2005 - 2012 Swift Communications, Inc.