Participate in a New York City celebration of 'Ivana Kupala' (05/04/03)

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Participate in a New York City celebration of 'Ivana Kupala'

NEW YORK - The Yara Arts Group will present "Ivana Kupala: Pagan Slavic Midsummer Night" in New York on Saturday, June 21.

Yara's fifth "Kupala in the Garden," will once again be an outdoor event in a beautiful Community Garden in New York with traditional rituals and songs, as well as a healthy dose of anarchy and ethno-avant-garde art.

Last year participants made flower wreaths, danced around Maryna, drank love potions and had their fortunes told, before witnessing an incredible concert by Yara artists, Mariana Sadovska, the Experimental Bandura Trio, Svitanje and Budmo Musical Ensemble, as well as the ferocious Gypsy dancing of Pyroshka.

Reviewing the event Kristina Lucenko wrote: "The Community Garden was the perfect environment, with its crowded, lush plots of flowers and vegetables spilling over onto narrow crooked paths." Members of Yara were tucked into the garden's many hidden corners: some read from Hohol's (Gogol) short stories, while others sang traditional Kupalo melodies and did water incantation.

"I've always loved the mystery of Kupalo," said Virlana Tkacz, the organizer of the event. "These rituals connect us to a past that is almost forgotten. But what a visceral connection - what drama - fire and water. And for an instant an ancient ritual is alive in us."

Preparations for "Kupalo" begin in early June. The public is invited to help create these celebrations - sing, dance, generate ideas and organize these events. To volunteer your talent and time, or for more information, contact: Yara Arts Group, 306 E. 11th St. No. 3B, New York, NY 10003; (212) 475-6474; yara@prodigy.net; www.brama.com/yara.

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