70th anniversary of LADO’s establishment celebrated with opening of photo exhibition

ZAGREB, Feb 8 (Hina) – An exhibition of photos opened in Zagreb’s Museum of Arts and Crafts on Thursday evening to mark the beginning of a series of events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of LADO, Croatia’s sole professional folk dance ensemble.

Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek, who opened the event, said that since its establishment LADO had been presenting, in its superb performances, the most important examples of Croatia’s traditional art while at the same time researching, collecting, documenting, promoting and passing onto the young generations that important element of Croatia’s cultural heritage.

With its enthusiastic representation of Croatia abroad, LADO has been building intercultural dialogue and cooperation with many neighbouring and distant countries, as well as with the Croatian expatriate community, Obuljen Korzinek said.

The ensemble, which travels the world promoting Croatian culture, consists of 38 dancers who also sing while they perform, and a group of 14 top musicians who play traditional and classical instruments.

Lado has had numerous famous Croatian ethnographers and choreographers, music arrangers, and folklorists work with them. The group, which was founded in 1949, was nominated a few years back for the prestigious Independent Music Award (IMA) in America.

The exhibition is the result of a three-year partnership between talented and awarded photographer Petra Slobodnjak and LADO.