Georgian State Dance Company

They poured onto the stage like an invading army in the first whirlwind dance and hardly ever let up. It was quite astonishing. - The Dallas Morning News They have done an outstanding job of getting at the essence of folk material while using it with artistic purpose. - The New York Times Russian folk dances are known for their colorfully physical poetry. But the Georgian region of the former Soviet Union, because of its fertile lands, green valleys and towering forests, has long been a breeding ground for the most brilliantly creative and breathtakingly beautiful dances, all based in very deep tradition. Georgian folk dance is a celebration of life. Georgian folk dances are divided according to their origin and content into ritual and ceremonial, work, game and comic dances. Nina Ramishvili, who co-founded the Georgian State Dance Company in 1945, explained how it began as the germ of an idea in the mind of her husband, Iliko: “He wanted to show the rest of the Soviet Union, and the rest of the world, the wealth and culture we have in Georgia, how different it is from other parts of the Commonwealth of Independent States, unique in its color and history. It became a reality slowly, but we were young and determined. And in the end, we succeeded.” With the ladies in long silver gowns and the gentleman in black tunics and swords, the dancers seem more like characters in a medieval painting than frolicking villagers. Yes, the men do all the preening, competing guy stuff, deep knee-bend kicks, full-body flips and some whacking about with swords. - Philadelphia Citypaper The Georgian State Dance Company - consisting of 100 dancers and musicians - has performed to over 50 million people in 87 countries.