Mar. 7, 2008 Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration in Riga

In 2008, three Baltic countries – Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia – will celebrate 90 years since their independence. Year 2008 will also be significant for Latvia as around 35,000 participants will gather in our capital Riga (see photo: the classical view of Riga's skyline) for the XXIV Song and XIV Dance Celebration. It is not just a festival – the tradition goes back for 135 years and in 2003 together with Lithuanian and Estonian Song and Dance tradition it was recorded in the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The celebration is due to take place from the 5th through the 12th of July 2008, in Mezaparks and Daugava Stadium in Riga. Attendees are certain to experience Latvia as the Land That Sings. Every spring all Latvian dance groups and choirs take part in displays involving more than 15,000 dancers and around 13,000 singers, demonstrating to the jury from the compulsory repertoire as well as freely chosen ones. In spring, 2008 dance displays will take place so that the jury can determine which dance groups and choirs are suitably prepared for the Song and Dance Celebration. The cream of the crop will be invited to participate in a final round on May 24! They have been preparing for 5 years to be named the best and win the participation at the celebration in July. The atmosphere will be similar to that of the 100 meter sprint at the Olympic Games! In short - what makes the Song and Dance festival so unique? • Choir of 12,000 people jointly sings wide and difficult repertoire a cappella in 8 voices; • Joint dance concert unites 15,000 dancers; • Every singer and dancer wears a folk costume; • Festivals take place each 5 years but in between there are competitions and displays reflecting the dynamic existence of the celebration tradition throughout the country; • Tradition has a deep symbolic meaning as a representative of national identity creation and development; • Aspect of multiculturalism: Alongside Latvians, representatives from 156 various nations live in Latvia (2.3 million people) and nowadays the festival gives them the opportunity to perform their traditions or to melt in the joint activities; Riga (Latvian: Rīga) the capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Riga is the largest city in the Baltic states. The Historic Centre of Riga has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is particularly notable for its extensive Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture, which UNESCO considers to be unparalleled anywhere in the world. Event: 2008 Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration Date: July 5th - 12th, 2008 Location: Mezaparks and Daugava Stadium Riga, Latvia

SOURCE: Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration Media

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