Russian Folk Ensemble Coming to Marco

Don’t miss this performance for all ages! On January 28, 2022 at 5:00 PM, the United Church of Marco Island will bring you the Golden Gates Dancers as part of their 2022 Concert Series.

I recently met with members UCMI’s Music Committee, Chris Moore, Susan Smith and Kevin Hennessy, and they are very excited about the Golden Gates Dancers.

Chris Moore, the Worship and Choir accompanist, recently moved to Marco from Ohio, where he was Director of Arts Council for 40 years. While in Ohio, he met Vitaliy Bezrodnov and his ensemble of the Golden Gates Dancers from St. Petersburg, Russia.

Since 2003, Vitaliy has coordinated the Golden Gates Dancers with funding from the Rotary Children’s Fund. Vitaliy is a professional musician and the leader of the trio “Moscow Nights” that performs Russian folk music played on classic Russian instruments.

Golden Gates brings together young talented folk dancers and musicians from Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia and more to introduce their traditional culture and history to the United States. Participants are highly trained and selected from public schools, cultural art centers, music schools, colleges and dance academies. 

According to Moore, it is like going to a folk festival. The music is very up tempo and there is audience participation, especially with the children. The Russian musicians usually invite the children to come up and play the instruments.

Susan Smith, a congregant and member of the music committee, added that music and dance are universal languages – you don’t have to speak Russian to enjoy Russian folk music and dance to its faster tempo. Russian dances are energetic and joyful with lots of fast knee bending and high jumps - you can’t help but join in their foot stomping energy. These young Russian folk dancers are storytellers sharing their cultural stories and connecting with audiences across the globe.

Golden Gates will be offering an hour of traditional Russian folk songs showcasing colorful and richly embroidered Russian folk dresses.

Russian folk songs are a living history of the Russian people – children were lulled to sleep in them; got married dancing to them; and they got buried in them.

They have exotic looking musical instruments but the most common is the Russian accordion or the bayan. The balalaika is a triangular wooden instrument with a fretted neck and three strings.

One reason to travel to Russia is to participate in one of its many amazing folk and music festivals. This time the Russian folk festival is coming to Marco at the beautiful acoustical Sanctuary of the United Church of Marco Island.

An ensemble of 15 members of the Golden Gates Dancers will be performing and according to Kevin Hennessy, they will be staying with host families during their Marco visit.

The best part: It is free admission for children under 13 years. It is a perfect family oriented cultural extravaganza which will take you into an authentic Russian folk festival of old Russia through the musical accompaniment of the versatile trio of Moscow Nights

Tickets are $20 per person and available at:  ucmarco.org/concerts.

Upcoming Cultural Events at the United Church of Marco Island:

Naples Philharmonic Community Performance

February 4, 2022 at 7:30 PM. Radu Paponiu, conductor and Jessie Goebel, principal viola performing Telemann’s delightful Viola Concerto. Featured on the program is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, one of his most popular works.

February 25, 2022 at 7:30 PM. Naples Philharmonic Chorus - Radu Paponiu, conductor, Jeff Faux, interim chorus director, Suzanne Kirton, principal flute take center stage to perform Doppler’s virtuosic Fantasie Pastorale Hongroise. Tickets are $35 and available at ArtistNaples.org.

Opera Naples

March 6, 2022 at 4:00 PM. A memorable program of operatic arias and ensembles from beloved operas including “La Boheme,” “La Traviata,” and “Don Giovanni,” as well as selections from operettas including “The Pirates of Penzance,” and gems from musical theater favorites like “My Fair Lady.” Tickets are available at ucmarco.org/.

Ladies Chorus Concert

March 27, 2022 at 4:00 PM. Spirit Of The Gulf, a female barbershop group, will perform songs from many styles of music, all in rich, four-part harmony and a cappella. This will be a Goodwill Offer.