Thursday, December 15, 19 p.m. Kirtimiu Cultural Center (69 Darius ir Girėno St., Vilnius) will host a free performance of Lithuanian Roma and Balkan music interpreters concert Terno Vilna, complemented by the temperamental performances and lessons of Roma dancers.
At the event, the Lithuanian Roma collective "Jazz Rom" will perform with dancers, "Rakija Klezmer Orkestar" from Kaunas, the well-known Vilnius composer and promoter of world music Marius Stavaris will be at the DJ console. During the event, there will also be hyper-interactive dance lessons with Justyna Suckiel, the choreographer of the Sare Roma collective, inviting you to get involved in the exhilarating whirlwind of Gypsy-Balkan dance.
The organizers of Terno Vilna 2016 interviewed Justynas, a dancer and teacher who has been training in sixteen groups for more than 19 years.
Could you tell us a little bit about your activities related to Roma culture?
I have been dancing Romani dances intensively for four years. I am a dancer, soloist and choreographer of the collective "Sare Roma". While dancing in this team, I had the honor of performing at various concerts and festivals, where I could get to know not only the peculiarities of Roma dance, but also the culture, traditions, and customs. It is not uncommon to have to communicate with members of other Roma collectives, to participate in the international Roma conference that takes place every year in Latvia.
Why Romani culture? How did you become interested in it, did you get involved in Roma dancing?
I started to be interested in Roma culture since childhood, I used to watch movies, I tried to repeat the movements I saw in Roma dances, besides that I always listened to Roma music, dressed in long skirts and pretended to be a gypsy.
Why Romani culture? Well, it's elementary - the creativity of no other culture frees the human soul as much as Roma music and dance. When you hear Romani music, your legs start to flutter unceasingly, I feel like I'm flying when I dance. Even I myself sometimes wonder where that inhumanly powerful temperament comes from, but later I understand that it is the Roma culture that helps reveal completely different emotions and experiences than usual. Roma culture can give everyone freedom, drive, and awaken a fiery temperament that sometimes lies deeply hidden.
What do you like/dislike most about your job?
What I like most is Roma creativity, culture, special warm communication (members of the collective are already close to me like sisters), concerts, festivals, constant dancing and countless other things! And there's only one thing I don't like - unpunctuality! (Laughs).
What do you think most distinguishes Roma culture from Lithuanian culture or unites them?
For me, the culture of the Lithuanian and Roma peoples is as different as night and day. Lithuanians are more westernized, live more freely, are more modern and do not follow traditions as much as the Roma. So, the main and biggest difference between Lithuanians and Roma is that Roma strongly adhere to traditions, customs, and values that they lived and shared from generation to generation. I think having one's roots and continuing traditions is the greatest value. And the biggest similarity is that it doesn't matter what nationality we are - both Lithuanians and Roma never forget that we are all human beings and we live beautifully close to each other, in one country - our beloved Lithuania.
What are the most unique aspects of Roma culture, the life of people of Roma origin that you know?
One of the peculiarities of Romani culture is that Romani girls marry chaste and gold coins are given for the bride. Roma marry very early, for example in Russia, in Ukraine – sometimes even at the age of 12. Every married woman must wear a long skirt and a scarf over her hair, so that no man approaches her when he sees that she has a husband. Each camp has a baron who is responsible for the order of the Roma community. Also, the Roma have great respect for the elderly, so one of the main tasks of the community is to respect and take care of the elderly. Summarizing the aspects of Roma life, it can be said that marriage, family, community are the whole world, the greatest values for them.
Do you encounter any stereotypes while working or presenting your work? Maybe some stereotypes about Roma are a myth, and some are true?
While working with the Roma, I have come across a lot of comments like "Justyna, how can you work with the Roma?" Haven't they stolen anything from you?". I always answer the same way: working with the Roma, precisely with those I work with, is one of the most wonderful gifts that God has sent me! In no other environment am I more myself than when I am with them, it is in their company that I feel extremely happy. Warm communication, laughter, smiles, respect, sympathy in difficult moments - exactly these features "are Roma" for me, so I completely disagree with the stereotypes imposed by society. Often, we only hear what the media says, without interacting with ourselves, we form an opinion about something we don't know. As you know, there are both good and bad people in every nation, and it is always easiest to single out foreigners, strangers. So, I say and will say - let's respect and love each other, then other people will love and respect us too!
Event "Terno Vilna" is dedicated to a closer knowledge and experience of Roma culture, with the aim of encouraging the reduction of exclusion and breaking of stereotypes. The organizers of the event claim that people are often frightened by the unknown and invite them to participate in the event, while "experiencing" Roma music and dance, feeling their freedom and temperament.
The project is partially financed Vilnius city municipality.
