Folklore

Because Ostrava is home to two unique ethnographic regions, Těšín, and Opava-Silesia and Lašsko, the City has an extensive folkloric background. In the past, people from all over Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia came to Ostrava in search of work. The area has a long tradition in mining. Today, the City is home to 25 ethnically diverse amateur folklore ensembles, many of which represent the area in folklore exhibitions and festivals, both at home and abroad.

Most of the ensembles are members of the Ostrava Regional Folklore Association, which was founded in 1992. Through it, the members strive to preserve and expand folk arts, to actively participate in the creation of new cultural traditions, and to enrich the cultural and spiritual life of the city and region.

This ensemble was founded in the fall of 1989 and is dedicated to Slovak folklore, largely because most of the members of the group have Slovak roots, but also because of the beauty, temperament and fire of Slovak culture. Typical for this ensemble are the stirring tempos of the dances from regions around Slovakia, including Terchová, Myjava, Liptov, Podpolání, Horehroní, Šariš and Zemplín.

This group was founded in 1977 from what was originally a children's folklore ensemble from the outskirts of Ostrava, in the village of Stará Ves nad Ondřejnicí. Today, there are more than one hundred members in the ensemble, playing cimbalom music, in dance and vocal groups, and in two children's groups with soloists. Ondřejnica strives to discover and revive nearly forgotten songs, dances, and traditions from the region around south-western Ostrava.

This song and dance ensemble was founded in 1977 as Satina. In 1982, members voted to rename the ensemble after the painter, writer, and folklore art collector, Helena Salichová. The ensemble works through the Báňská Technical University in Ostrava, and presents original folklore from Opava-Silesia, and more specifically, from Opava, Hlučín and Klimkovice.

More than 50 years have passed since this ensemble was founded, named after an Ostrava mine shaft and House of Culture where the ensemble practiced. Hlubina has always tried to get to the roots of local culture in Lašsko, Těšín, Opava and Ostrava. It also performs mining folklore, one of the few to do so in the Czech Republic. Hlubinka is the name of the children's ensemble. 

http://hlubinaostrava.cz   

This ensemble was founded in 1950 under the auspices of the Nová huť factory in Ostrava Zábřeh. Today's repertoire is made up mainly of songs, dances and folk customs from southern Wallachia. The ensemble also works together with the Tolar Cimbalom Ensemble from Ostrava, which presents the music of many regions, including Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.