Latrobe elementary students get a kick out of Russian dance program

Students at Latrobe Elementary School enjoyed the strains of the balalaika and high-kicking booted dancers as the Russian ensemble Barynya visited for two performances Wednesday afternoon.

Founder and Moscow native Mikhail Smirnov brought along three other members of his New York City-based troupe to introduce the children to a sampling of song and dance from Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Jewish and Gypsy Roma folk traditions.

“We show dancing from different parts of Russia,” Smirnov said. Wednesday’s program included a wedding dance, a sailor’s dance and a dance to the Russian song “Kalinka.”

In addition to the three-stringed triangular balalaika, which Smirnov considers a cultural symbol of Russia, group members danced and sang to the garmoshka, a Russian version of the accordion that has a distinctive layout of fingered buttons in four rows.

“Any person that can play accordion probably won’t be able to play the garmoshka because it’s different, it’s all over the place,” Smirnov said.

Students swayed and clapped to the rousing, rhythmic music. Several of the children joined the group on the cafeteria stage to learn a peddler’s dance.

Founded in 1991, the 20-member group has performed at Carnegie Hall, the United Nations and the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Members also appeared on the “Superstars of Dance” reality television show.

Barynya performed Tuesday at Baggaley Elementary School and will complete their visit to the Greater Latrobe School District with an appearance Thursday at Mt. View Elementary.

The performances are part of cultural programming at the schools funded through the McFeely-Rogers Foundation, the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation and the three elementary school PTOs.