Беларускія фэстывалі й выстаўкі ў Нью Джэрзі
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Выдавец: Беларускі Інстытут Навукі й Мастацтва
Памер: 219с.
Нью Йорк 2013
The organizational committee that was formed at that meeting included twenty-one local people and a number of regional coordinators.8 Responsibilities were assigned for the following categories: budget, program, concert production, exhibition, advertisement, youth partici
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pation, sport, souvenirs, and ticket sales. During the preparatory phase all members worked smoothly and energetically. Of course, no such undertaking could be easy, but obstacles were overcome because the
impact looked so attractive.
In its March issue, the Belarusian-language monthly Bielarus advised that by June nearly ten thousand festival advertisement items
GARDEN STATE .ARTS CENTER SATURDAY JI NE 12.1976
SPORTS ACTIVITIES FROM 10:00 A.M.
ART EXHIBITS FROM 10:00 AM. STAGE PROGRAM 5:00 TO 6:00 P.M.
The organizing committee for Byetorjssan Heritage Festival Day. together with the New Jersey Highway Authority take great pleasure in announcing that Saturday. June 12. of this Bicentennial Year has been set aside fix a day long program cf Byelorussian festivities. The committee extends to you its meetings and invite aG its friends to join us on this commemorative occasion.
FIRST BYELORUSSIAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL GARDEN STATE ARTS CENTER, HOLMDEL. N.J.
Saturday. June 12,1976
A gala program steeped in Byelorussian cultural heritage and outstanding in its colorfulness, graciousness. wit. harmony, and rhythm-a nch source by a wide and varied choice of talents. Brought to America's shores by early settlers from Minsk (Miensk), Pinsk. Vieaa. Vitebsk (Viaebek), Gonuei (Homiel) Brest [Biercscie). Mogilev (Mahilov), Navahradak, Grodno (Horadnia) and Mazyr regions, preserved with its original vitality intact, the program proudly presented by first, second and third generation Americans will indude mdi“iduai performances of accomplished soloists, choral and instrumental performances, and folk dances. To complement the beauty of Byelorussian song and dance performed in colortul native costume, will be the displays of original handkraft, paintings, embroideries and woodwork.
This glorious day will feature good food and rigorous and exciting athletic events. Come and sample typical Byelorussian biiny. kapusta aladki and pirahi white viewing and being enthralled by power volleyball contests between some of the metropolitan area's top teams.
Don’t miss out on this happy festive occasion; come and rediscover BYELORUSSIA.
At the same time you will be helping to raise funds fa the sponsoring Garden State Arts Center Cultural Fund, which provides free programs tn this beautiful amphitheater for our school children and for out tenia citizens, disabled veterans and blind, as well as for those of all other New Jerseyans
Vitaut Kipel. Chairman Byelorussian Festival Committee
The Garden State Arts Center is owned and operated by the New Jersey Highway Authonty at Exit 116 on the Garden State Parkway in Hoimdei. New Jersey.
Invitation letter to the First Festival at the Garden State Arts Center.
were to have been disseminated and a special press release announcing the event would be issued by the State of New Jersey. Bielarus also published an appeal by Walter Stankievich, an organizational committee member, under the heading "Invite Your Neighbors for AllBelarusian Day."
"This year of America's Bicentennial," wrote Stankievich, "the entire American citizenry is intent to visit various patriotic and folk
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XV
GARDEN STATE ART CENTER Jf.oij p-funt*-,
5Л1М1Й 4Mt £. BZb
First Festival poster.
celebrations and festivals. For us, Belarusians of America, it is a wonderful occasion to take advantage of this mood because for the first time we obtained this year a possibility to have our own Day of Belarusian Culture at the Garden State Arts Center. This will be an occasion to show to our neighbors, coworkers, teachers of our children and their school mates, in one day and at a very distinct place, the best Belarusians in America have, starting with sport, artifacts, literature, delightful traditional dishes and ending with songs, music and folk dances."
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The news about the Belarusian Festival at the Garden State Arts
Center was welcomed by the White House. President Gerald Ford sent the organizers a greeting saying:
As we lay the cornerstone of America's Third Century, 1 commend the officers and members of the Belarusian Heritage Festival Committee on their Bicentennial program featuring the culture and folklore of their rich heritage. Efforts such as these remind us oj the important contribution oj Americans of Belarusian ancestry to our way of life, and they help make our great national celebration a memorable and meaningful one for all. — Gerald R. Ford
President Ford and Michael Bachar.
America's Bicentennial resonated also in verses by three Belarusian-American poets. The first two were written in Belarusian (below in translation) and the third one in English.
N. Arsiennieva
LIVE!
On America's Bicentennial
In struggle you were born at a cost of great blood. For freedom of all you stand also today as of yore, at your dawn.
Live, America, live!
Lead your sons to truth, to happiness, make bountiful your golden expanse. May your strength not weaken and may wars' smoke blacken neither your path, nor your spangled banner!
socsossossossossossos
M. Kavyl 9
THANK YOU, AMERICA!
Separated from loved ones, Betrothed to misfortune, And with a heart burdened by heavy thoughts, I thank you, America, My second Homeland, For a warm corner and white stars!
: «OSSOSSOSSOSOJSOKOS
S. Jasien10
Through ravages of clashing steel and hate, Shorn of our dreams and native land, We came, America, unto your gate For Liberty's protecting hand.
Concert and Other ’Events
During the entire sunny and pleasant afternoon the audience was enthralled by what unfolded before their eyes and ears in and around the Garden State Arts Center. The day's program included a two-hour concert, a parade of national costumes, a display of art and artifacts, tables of souvenirs, books and stands with scrumptious ethnic food. Nearly 160 people were engaged in the entire show that lasted approximately six hours.
To arrange a mass of amateur performers into a fluent presentation of a concert program was not a simple task. The responsibility for putting all of the bits together fell on the members of the production committee chaired by Halina Rusak. Fortunately, Fred Week came up with a suggestion to ask Nick Jordanoff, Director of Music Admissions for Duquesne University, and Artistic Director for the world renowned folk dancing troop, the Tamburitzans, to give a helping hand in this complex undertaking. Jordanoff, an American of Bulgarian descent, readily agreed. At his first encounter, he was deeply impressed by the beauty of Belarusian dances as well as by the enthusiasm of our group. The stage presentation, he told the program committee, has to be smooth, without any pauses, variegated and dynamic. Objections by some participants, who were unhappy with their spot in the program, were resolved by Jordanofifs lecturing that every detail should be subordinated to the general effect of the concert.
Halina Rusak and Irene Dutko, production manager, who was also responsible for decorative details, plus all of the advertising for the festival, both worked closely with Nick Jordanoff, first attending performances of Tamburitzans to observe the organization of a professional stature folk performance. Rusak, Dutko and other committee members attended and participated in regional ethnic festivals, gathering and exchanging information with other event organizers, while simultaneously advertising the upcoming festival and disseminating
Dance by Vasilok.
information about Belarus. After deciding which groups were available to perform at the Garden State Arts Center, Jordanoff, with the approval of the committee, worked out a schedule for the concert and held rehearsals for the various performers in subgroups, and as a whole. The tasks for the committee included timing the
individual acts, varying the pace of the performances and providing time for costume changes, periods of rest for dancers, and keeping the performances on schedule. Through the years, Nick Jordanoff became a valued member of the extended Belarusian family, and a welcome visitor to many Belarusian homes. With great success, he produced stage presentations of all three of our festivals at the Holmdel Garden State Arts Center.
The concert began with Irene Kalada's performance of the American national anthem. For the next two solid hours, a variety of presentations cascaded one after another: various groups' folk dances, ensemble and solo songs, piano pieces, sketches, interwoven with comments by the MC.11 The reception of the concert by the audience was enormously wholehearted.
To mark the success of the festival, its orga
nizers held a triumphant party at the South River Belarusian-American Center where Vitaut Kipel, chairman of the organizational committee, was presented a
Vera Bartui. plaque in recognition of his herculean effort.
Costume show (from left): Nina Zaprudnik and Alice Kipel.
Eva Pashkevich, Nadja Kudasow and Luda Rusak.
Vasilok.
Lanok.
'K.uhaMSu’bB^lefs'> 12
In the monthly publication, Bielarus, Belarusian Canadian writer, Kastus Akula, writing about the first Belarusian Festival at the Garden State Arts Center, extolled the young BelarusianAmerican performers at the festival:
"For the first time in America's history and in that of the Belarusian diaspora, an audience of over three thousand came together. The artistic
part of the program was presented, essentially, by young people. And a majority of them are either students or university graduates. Look at these — to use Kupala's word — Eaglets that are soaring into the heights! Can you meet among them a single one with an inferiority complex? On the contrary, they are proud to be free in this free coun-
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