Pramínek
“Little Spring” – our youngest dancers discover folk games, rhymes and their first dance steps.
Jaro Dance Group
About us
A folk dance ensemble loved by audiences and praised by experts, led for more than four decades by Živana Vajsarová.
Živana Vajsarová, artistic director and choreographer, founded Jaro in 1983 at the Folk School of Arts in Prague-Radotín. She continued the work and legacy of the dance group of the same name, founded and led in the 1950s by her father, the eminent Czech ethnographer Prof. František Bonuš.
After 1989 the ensemble moved from the outskirts of Prague 5 to Smíchov, and today it is part of the dance department of the ZUŠ Štefánikova art school. It has more than 60 dancers in five age groups.
Jaro performs at concerts and festivals in the Czech Republic and abroad, where it is regularly invited – from Denmark, France and Germany to the USA, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand, Morocco and Malta.
- 43years on stage
- 60+dancers of all ages
- 5age groups
- 15+countries we have danced in
Our groups
From little ones to adults
The ensemble has more than 60 dancers in five age groups. At our grand performances everyone dances together – accompanied live by the Jara Band.
Sluníčka
“Little Suns” – playful children’s dances, folk songs and first performances on stage.
Kolovrátek
“Spinning Wheel” – a children’s group dancing spring carols, games and ritual dances with song.
Studánky
“Wells” – the junior group: energetic boys’ dances, girls’ dances and competition choreographies.
Kalina
“Viburnum” – adult dancers performing couple and circle dances from Bohemia, Lachia and Slovak Liptov.
Repertoire
Dances from Bohemia, Moravia & Slovakia
Our teaching method prepares dancers to master the distinct styles of folk dance from different regions. Despite the wide range, every dance is carefully studied with attention to its regional style.
- Central & eastern BohemiaVrták, Dupák, Furiant, Hulán, Dřeváčkový, Czech Queens (Královničky)
- ChodskoSýkorka and other dances accompanied by Czech bagpipes
- Lachia (north-east Moravia)Lachian suite, Lachian wedding, Požehnaný, Starodávný – from Prof. Bonuš’s collections
- HanáOld Haná dances blending folk and period dance
- Slovakia – LiptovSpring in Liptovské Sliače, Karičky, Odzemok
- Historical dancesA gavotte inspired by W. A. Mozart, a 19th-century polka in period costumes
Grand spring performance
A blooming meadow, a mysterious forest, a village green. Children’s games, spring carols, carnival merry-making, a lovers’ duet and magnificent adult circle dances.
Grand Christmas performance
Advent as our ancestors lived it: the masked processions of Saint Lucy, Saint Nicholas, Saint Ambrose and the Perchtas, and carols from Bohemia and Lachia in traditional costumes.
Live music
Muzika Jara
A great part of Jaro’s success belongs to the Jara Band led by Karel Mezera, which has played with the ensemble since 1993 and ranks among the leading performers of Czech folk music.
Together with Zdeněk Pechoušek, Martin Hauptmann and Tomáš Pykal, Karel Mezera arranges folk and composed songs. The band’s repertoire includes more than 100 songs, and nearly all its members are professional musicians from leading Czech orchestras or art school teachers.
muzikajara.cz
How we work
Živana Vajsarová draws mainly on the records of her father Prof. František Bonuš and combines the best folk traditions with the teaching principles of Jarmila Jeřábková, leading children to a pure, natural dance expression suited to their age.
“To preserve, develop and pass on to future generations the treasures of our folk dance and music.” – the ensemble’s motto
Our supporters
We dance with the support of
Thank you to all our partners and friends who support us. We greatly appreciate your help.
The Jaro Dance Group is part of ZUŠ Štefánikova, a public art school in Prague 5. Our projects are supported by the City of Prague.
Would you like to support us?
The ensemble is organised and funded by the Jaro Parents & Friends Association (Spolek rodičů a přátel folklórního souboru JARO, z.s.). Every gift helps with costumes, rehearsal weekends and performances.
- Bank account
- 570859001/5500
- Company ID
- 60459034
Join us
Would you like to dance with us?
New dancers join through the dance department of the ZUŠ Štefánikova art school – children from the preparatory class, boys and older dancers too. Applications open every spring on the school website. Feel free to call us.