Ensemble «COSSACKS»

Фото:

Ensemble of the «COSSACKS» (Russia) is the most outstanding representative of the Cossack culture. It is like the uncontrollable cavalry attack! The ensemble literally blows up with bright fascinating show where have merged together the most powerful energetic of swift dance, virtuosity of practically circus tricks (juggling by sabers, a tool cannonade, etc.) recklessness of valiant Cossack songs and touching lyricism taking for soul. This presents real theatrical action! Simultaneously on a stage works up to 100 actors - in fact the collective includes dancing group, an orchestra of wind and national tools. From a motley chain of original historical costumes and such attributes as peaks, sabers, daggers, etc. grasp spirit of the most experienced spectators.
The dancing collective was created as ensemble in 1970 and from 1954 till 1970 the collective of the Kalininskiy House of Culture was supervised by Petr Efimovich Martynenko – the father of Tatiana Zdebskaya who is the present art director of the ensemble. Since 1980 it carries a high rank such as "National Amateur Collective". More than 200 children and adults improve their skills in the national dance ensemble. The youngest of them are 3 years old, the oldest are 50 years old.
The collective is known and people like it not only in the region and on Kuban, but also abroad. It took part in the International festivals of folklore in different countries including Canada, Greece, China, Poland, Turkey, France, Great Britain, India, Italy and Cyprus. The collective carries out active concert activity on propagation of Russian and the Kuban dancing folklore, development of the traditional choreographic art among youth. The ensemble is the constant participant of competitive and festival movement on Kuban, in Russia and abroad. So since 1989 it is the award winner of the first regional festival of peoples of Caucasus «The Stavropol Rainbow». And since 1994 it is the winner of the annual holiday "The River of Friendship" which is carried out within the framework of the International festival of national creativity "Culture Brings Peoples Closer Together", regional song holidays and dancing folklore "My Dear Russia" and "The Rainbow of Hopes". The same year the collective becomes the owner of the Grand prix of the All-Russian competition «Tikhvinskiy Lel». In autumn of 1995 the ensemble is invited to All-Russian competitive festival "Ural semi-precious stones" to Orenburg where it becomes the winner. The original Kuban collective is noticed by the International association of choreographic art amateurs and in summer of 1996 it becomes the participant of the International festival of folklore "Fiesta" in Italy where goes on tour about 17 cities. In 1997 it is invited to Italy again, 14 concerts are given on various stages of this country. And after returning the ensemble takes part in the festival of folklore art "Golden Apple" for the first time, becomes the winner of the regional festival of children creativity "Young Talents of Kuban".
At the end of 1997 the collective gives a number of concert programs in Boarding-schools, Hospitals for invalids of war and children - orphans of the region.
The year of 1998 brings new success to young dancers. They go to Poland to the International festival of national creativity by the invitation of the international organizing committee and with the assistance of the All-Russian Union of Culture Workers and Art where the dancers show the skill to inhabitants of Poland cities together with honored collectives from China, Holland, England, Poland, etc. On arrival the ensemble acts with the extensive program in children improving camp "Istok" of Gelendzhik city, acts in gala concert of the All-Russian folklore festival "Kuban Kazachok" in Krasnodar.
The autumn of the same year brings a new victory to the ensemble - the collective becomes the Grand prix owner of the All-Russian festival of children's creativity "Eaglets of Russia - 98" which took place in the All-Russian children center "Eaglet".

Then the dancers become the winners of the International folklore festival in Poland. In 2000 they participate and win the nomination at the regional competition of the TV Show "The Morning Star – 2000" in Sochi.
In 2001 the ensemble is invited by the International Festival of a Choreographic Art Organizing Committee "Neva Rainbow" in St. Petersburg where it becomes the winner.
Hardly later the collective becomes the winner of the All-Russian festival of children national creativity "Kuban Kazachok - 2002" in Sochi. In July of the same year the ensemble participates in the International folklore festival in Tonadiko (Italy) and in September in All-Kuban festival of national creativity "Golden apple - 2002".
In 2003 the dancers represent national creativity of Kuban at the All-Russian choreography competition for T. Ustinova’s prize in Vladimir becoming the first-degree winners. In the same year the ensemble becomes the winner of the All-Russian festival of children national creativity "Wind rose" and All-Kuban festival "Kuban open spaces" in Anapa.
In 2004 the collective is the winner of the regional level of the All-Russian competition "The Salute of the Victory", the International festivals "Admiralty Thaw" in St. Petersburg and "Earth is Our Joint House" in Yekaterinburg. The last achievement of the dancers is the participation in September of 2004 in the structure of the Russian governmental delegation in Russian - Greek Days of Friendship on the island of Lemnos in Greece.
In 2005 the ensemble noted its 35-anniversary. The same year the collective took part in folklore festival in Turkey and Samara.
In 2006 the dancers took part in the following festivals and competitions: "Russian troika" in St. Petersburg in February, "Veselkova Terpsikhora" in Kiev in May, festival "Eldzhovani" in Italy in July, "Tsvetnivy Rosy" in Dnepropetrovsk in September.
The ensemble has the bright various program which incorporated the best samples of typical Russian, Cossack dances directed by their head - the Honored Art Worker of Kuban Galina Gogina and by such professional choreographers, the Honored Art Workers of Russia as Alexander Litovchenko (Krasnodar), Vladimir Yakovlev (Yaroslavl) and Sergey Pogorelov (Krasnodar), by the main ballet master of the song and dancing ensemble of the Russian Air-Landing Forces G.V. Minkh (Moscow), by the senior teacher of choreography department of the St. Petersburg University of Culture named by Z.D. Lyangolf.
The collective has quite good costumes. It is mobile, highly disciplined. The ensemble has the traditions and constant creative communications with other collectives of the territory, Russia, near and far abroad. Systematic educational-creative and training work is conducted among the participants and the result of which is the choice of 15 graduates to have future profession as choreography and continue their education in High and Secondary Special Educational Institutions of Culture.