Svetlana just got an award from Arlington County for being talented, dedicated, and good-lookin’ all at the same time. Here’s the way it read in the local rag:

Quote:

The Washington Balalaika Society, founded in 1988 in Arlington, was honored with the Elizabeth Campbell Award for Outstanding Community Arts Group. Audiences “come away from every concert with lots of joy and excitement in your heart,” said Connie McAdam as she presented artistic director and conductor Svetlana Nikonova with the award. Nikonova was recruited from Russia to become artistic director in 2003, and has seen the folk ensemble grow to 65 members. “Their enthusiasm and spirit amazed and impressed me from the first rehearsal,” she said.

Here’s the caption that goes with the pic:

AAUW award winners include (seated) Madeline La Salle and (back) Raymond Gniewek, Svetlana Nikonova, Barbara Walthall, Jeffrey Benson and Kathi Gollwitzer. (Photo by Scott McCaffrey)

_________________
I don't do it for the money, babe. I do it to entertain people.-- Susan Boyle

Arlington Co only, or DC area?

It wasn't actually the county, it was the Arlington Chapter of the AAUW (American Association of University Women).

http://www.firebellyproductions.net/elizabeth-sun.htm

But Svetlana plays lots in DC, and Maryland, and Fairfax County, and ... you name it.

Svetlana establishes rapport with the exotic Marylandian people:

OK, here it is--the program for the big weekend:
 
Peter the Great March (Preobrazhensky march)                 Traditional, arr. W. Kasura
 
Russkaya zima (Russian Winter)                            V. Gorodovskaya, instr. Y. Chernov 
Utushka lugovaya  (Little Wood Duckling)                          V. Gridin, arr. V. Marunych
Gypsy Guitar                                                                E. Derbenko, arr. A. Mamalyga
                                        Volodymyr Marunych, bayan
 
Lipa vekovaya (The Ancient Linden Tree)                               P. Kulikov/A. Tsygankov
 
Kikimora, op. 63 -- A “fantastic scherzo”                                                        A. Liadov
                                        Jonathan Lochhaas, narrator
 
Smolensky Guzachok  (The Little Goose from Smolensk)                    arr. A. Shirokov
 
                                                          INTERMISSION 
 
 Fantasy on the folk theme , ‘Stenka Razin’                                       V. Gorodovskaya
 
Gopak , from the ballet ‘Gayane’                           A. Khatchaturian, arr. V. Marunych
Moldovenyaska (Moldavian theme)                                 Traditional, arr. V. Marunych
***  Encore piece, not with orchestra -- Volodya and Natasha Duo
                      Volodymyr and Natalia Marunych, bayan and domra
 
Nocturne (‘And This is My Beloved’, from Kismet)                                       A. Borodin
                                           
Po nebu, po sinemu … (Under the Clear Blue Sky)                                 arr. A. Shalov Russian Tunes                                                                                         arr. A. Shalov
***  Encore piece, not in printed program -- Shutochnaya     
                                      Andrei Saveliev, balalaika
 
Korobeiniki ( The Peddlers)                                                                        arr. V. Ditel’
 
*** Encore piece, not in printed program -- Bright Moon 


If you haven't listened to "Kikimora" yet, here it is (except we do it with all balalaikas). There's a narration that goes with the slow part, before Kikimora comes down from the mountain and starts wreaking havoc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP6wcoIiMFo

It's not actually Svetlana, but it shows that--to Russian girls at least--size matters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RurKhFduhCA&feature=related

Speaking of the Smolenskiy guzachok, Svetlana's rendition last weekend was something the audience won't soon forget. We had the zhaleikas, rozhoks, svirels, bryolkas, Vladimir horns, volynkas, sopilkas, plus something some guy brought from his synagogue, all deployed at full volume simultaneously. It was like a whole regiment of gooses.

As luck would have it, there is one rozhok player on youtube. You have to imagine what it would be like with a whole bunch of them. The more wrong notes you play (and this thing plays mostly wrong notes) the better it sounds.

Just a quick note on Russian language usage, in case anybody needs it:

itty-bitty goose -- goozichok
half-grown goose -- goozik
full-size goose -- goos'
humungous overgrown goose -- bol'shinskiy goozovshchina

V chuzhuyu zhenu chort lozku myoda kladyot.

Lozhka myoda redko dostatochna. Dai nei chashku vodki.

Vodka helps the Adultery go down. Something like that?(in the context of my above post)


гусь делает соус толстых....hmmm....

goos' dyelayet sooos tolstih

Ok, sorry to interrupt your thread.