It was March 2014, when a few enthusiasts met to try steps of Latvian folk dance in Switzerland.
Since then some time has passed, the number of dancers as well as our skills have increased. We have delighted audiences in Belgium, Germany, Irland, Latvia, Spain, ... and for sure in our second home, in Switzerland.
Here we are! Tortured and loved in rehearsals, upbraided and praised, still gasping from the foot stretching and belly retraction, but nevertheless wearing a wide smile and love for dance and Latvia!
The Swiss watch reminds us assertively on rehearsals and - despite busyness - we continue giving Latvian folk dances and culture the most valuable property we have - our time.
Through dance we learn to live! To move means to live! And if we can bring joy to ourselves and others, what is there else to wish for?
NEWS
IN A FAIRY TALE OF STARS
The outstanding dancers from "Zelta Sietiņš" visited Zurich to share a Christmas fairy tale with "Zvaniņš" and RAMTAI! The decorated Christmas tree, the smell of gingerbread, the live music and the joyful atmosphere were the reasons for Santa to visit us!
Screen reader support enabled.
ROW, NOT SLEEP - PART 4
Once in a year we make the RAMTAI boat trip on a Swiss river. We have not only dancing pleasure together, but we also enjoy singing, swimming and grilling in a good company! In August 2018 we invited friends from the Latvian choir Balts to join us.
As Winnie the Pooh said: "You cannot sit and wait for someone to come. Sometimes you have to go to this someone by yourself!"
Thank you, Ilmārs, for organising the event!
#DzSv aka #LatvianSongAndDanceFestival
Such a joy and pride accompanied us from the first steps at The Song and Dance Celebration to the last ones during the great dance performance "Māras Country"! The feeling we would love to keep in our feet and hearts until 2023 - the next Song and Dance Celebration.
"Rainis and Aspazija between Latvia and Switzerland"
The afternoon of June 15th in Lugano, turned into a surprise. Following our performance in honour of the opening of the new exposition of the Rainis and Aspazija Museum, our family members Janis and Kristīne received a certificate signed by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, Dace Melbārde, for their contribution to preserving the tradition of Song and Dance festival outside Latvia. We are proud as we can be!
"ZÜRICH TANZT for the third time"
Participation in «So tanzt die Welt» - «This is how the World dances» - has become a part of our annual tradition in the Zürich Tanzt Festival. This time, on the main dance floor of Zurich Central Station, we created various scenes and kinds of love. Soloists Agnese and Ilmars did amazing job in both dance and acting!
"Dylan dreams for the 115th time"
In January, Latvians were taking over the center of Zurich.
It turns out that the roots of the outstanding American musician Bob Dylan can be found in Latvia. In order to create a Latvian atmosphere on the Schauspielhaus Zürich stage, the local theater HORA invited us to participate in the performance "Bob Dylans 115ter Traum". In parallel to the performances of HORA, Schauspielhaus was also displaying Alvis Hermanis show "Heart of the Dog".
LATVIA 99: 18th NOVEMBER on the 19th NOVEMBER
One year! One year until the 100th anniversary of Latvia's declaration of independence. Honoring this event, RAMTAI warmed up and got dressed so that together with our youngest dancers from "Zvaniņš" and oldest friends from choirs "BALTS" and "Trejzemīte" we could celebrate together and bring joy to our guests with Latvian folk dances and songs.
RAMTAI LĪGO
The Līgo Festival was celebrated near the beautiful Greifensee together with RAMTAI and other Latvians living in Switzerland. Of course, it is almost impossible to have fun without the folk dances performed by RAMTAI! Immediately after our show, we were dancing with the audience. Together with more than 100 Latvians, we were sitting in front of the fire and singing all night loing we continued to celebrate the shortest night of the year.
SONG FESTIVAL ESSLINGEN 70
„Esslingen, Esslingen!
Here we are all right to remain!“*
...even if only for three nights on the gym floor, our dresses hanging down from the soccer goal, an ex-basketball player doing throws into the basket right above our heads, dancing on the Nekar Forum stage, then choristers singing through the night after some beer in a pop-up Latvian bar, Mārtiņš Brauns playing a keyboard after the dance show, our ex-dancer Raitis being a soloist in a musical „Esslingen“, Jānis providing several autographs to admirers of his talent… Ramtai mingled in Esslingen, Latvia mingled in Esslingen.
Thank you all the organisers, thank you, Laura Putāne and the team!
Esslingen, Esslingen!
You’ll be all right to retain!
*lyrics translated from the musical „Esslingen”,
A. Legzdiņš/A. Ritmanis
ZÜRICH TANZT 2017
The second year in a row our blue-orange striped skirt flashed around in the Zürich central train station among cheerleader, Hungarian and Latin dresses.
A huge applause accompanied Ramtai down the stage.
SO I WILL LOVE YOU
Following a successful show and even more successful afterparty in Brussels in 2016, dancers from Brussels spoke their desire to visit Ramtai in Zürich. Jānis promised: there will be a show in Zürich and we will name it „So I will love you“. So I will love you Latvia, maiden, family, Ramtai... For Ramtai is celebrating THREE years this spring and welcomes guests from Brussels!
RAMTAI RUMBLES IN STOCKHOLM
On the second Saturday morning in March “Ramtai” put
their costumes in a mutual luggage and took of to
Sweden. Our destination – to enrich the number of
performances and participants in “Zibenītis”
organised concert „Stockholm rumbles“. The concert
hall was filled up and we shared our joy for dance
with our friends from Spain, Ireland and Latvia. The
performances were concluded with a delicious action
of emptying 18 kg of rasol salad and feasting on a
birthday cake.
BIGBEN AND RAMTAI
An invitation to partake in a 40-year anniversary of the dance group “London dances“ arrived in our mailbox.
Joyfully we left from Zürich Airport to give our friends a beautiful bouquet of dances in their special celebration.
Among the congratulators were also dance groups “Salinieki”, “Jautrais pāris” from London and “Kamoliņš” from Bredford.
RAMTAI JUMPS IN A CHRISTMAS MOOD
Looks like the Christmas show has transferred to an important event for Latvians living in Switzerland. The professional musicians, the School of Latvian Language and Culture Auseklis, choir "Balts" and of course us, Ramtai, brought some Christmas feeling with music pieces, sketches and dances created by Latvians. Ramtai dancers were tireless organisers of the show as well.
Merry Christmas!
NOVEMBER 18TH AND JĀNI’S FIRST CHOREOGRAPHY
On November 18th the Latvian Honorary Consul General Ragnar Granelli invited Latvians living in Switzerland to celebrate Latvian Proclamation anniversary.
Ramtai had a special greeting in mind: music by a local group Troubas Kater, name of it „Latvia“ and choreography by our boss Jānis.
We are wishing you all the best, Latvia!
Congratulations, Jānis!
ROWING, NOT SLEEPING PART 2 AND 3
As folk dancers, Ramtai is eager to maintain traditions, so we kept the tradition of the boat trip. There were enough dancers who wanted to be rowers, so two trips took place: first downstream the river Reuss, second along the Linth river.
We sure know how to spent a great time together, does not matter if dancing tirelessly or grabbing the oars, grilling sausages and singing songs on river(side)!
ZÜRICH TANZT 2016
During the annual dance festival in the very center of Zürich with pride and smile in our faces we conquered the hearts of the local audience!
BIG DAY FOR KARBUNKULIS!
Ramtai went to Dublin to celebrate 10 year anniversary of TDK "Karbunkulis"! Thank you Solveiga and all participants for unforgettable joy and emotions!
We wish to remain as gorgeous also in the future!
TWO YEARS IN TWO DAYS!
In a cozy atmosphere with delicious cake in our hands we lift the eternal pitcher of madness! Two years have passed in relentness dancing, delighting ourselves and people around us with amazing cultural heritage of Latvia!
We have grown both spiritually and technically. We have met fantastic friends and opened even further the curtains of the world!
Thank you!
MEISTARCLASS WITH LILITA JANSONE
Long way had to be overcome to visit Ramtai, but positive emotions and shrieks of amusement outweighs all troubles! Thank you for the unforgetable experience and knowledge we have gained together!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
With warmth in our hearts, snow on mountaintops and presents under evergreen together with latvians in Switzerland we celebrate Chrstmas! Delicious gingerbreads and cultivated oranges already consumed, but the spirit of celebration is still with us! On contrary, closeness and the joy of giving will be with us both in Switzerland and Latvia!
ANNIVERSARY OF PROCLAMATION OF LATVIA
Happy birthday our beloved Latvia!
WE MEET AGAIN IN MÜNSTER
New friends, new routines, new faces and new experience was gained together with latvian choreographer Agris Daņiļevičs! Fantastic weekend was spent learning the mastery of improvisation! Sincere thanks to MiLaDeKo for the warm welocoming and maternal care! Thank you latvian folk dance groups form Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Dublin for the great dose of laughter and positivism!
''Dancing is happiness!'' A. Daņiļevičs
THE FIRST CONCERT OF THE SEASON DONE ALREADY!
A weekend full of adventures was spent in Lindau! Sincere thanks to amazing Līga, Aksel un Edijs for hosting us!
We delighted our neighbours in Lindau with the charm of Latvian folk dances and created an example for the local table dances!
What a fabulous way to start the new season!!
SEPTEMBER IS HERE AND WE CONTINUE TWICE A WEEK
The new dancing season we continue every Tuesday and Friday! We'll repeat all the combinations, and will plan for concerts as well as intellectual leisure activities on Friday evenings!
WHEN WORK IS DONE, TIME FOR LEISURE
Latvians in Switzerland got in the boats and followed the mountain river's Aare temptation. Prepared three buckets with sun lotion and food reserves sufficient to survive for one month, latvians enjoyed each other's cozy company and relentless:
"Row, do not sleep!"
EUROPEAN FESTIVAL OF LATIVAN CULTURE IN BRUSSELS CELEBRATED WITH PLEASURE
With tears of joy the Latvian Culture Festival in Brussels has come to an end. Our first concert delighted hearts of hundreds of spectators, united even more our group and made new friends all over Europe!
How did we do, you can learn more in
Eyewitness reporting and 'LOOK' section!
PREPARING FOR EUROPEAN FESTIVAL OF LATIVAN CULTURE IN BRUSSELS, 18.-21. JUNE
Ironing trousers, washing socks and rehearsing so the concert in Brussels in June 20 we could show ourselves from the best prespective!
follow and support: http://www.elks2015.eu/
VISITED CRAZY LATVIANS IN MADRID
Ilze, la 'Luste' esta muy loca!
Head is still dull and octopus still dancing in stomach...
Incredibly fun and surprisingly productive weekend!
LATVIAN FOLK DANCE CAMPUS IN STUTTGART
Many thanks to Iveta Pētersone-Lazdāne for the durablity and useful advice! Thanks to Laura Putāne for organizing suach a great gathering! Thanks to all participants who made this campus a remarkable adventure! Unforgetable moments and memories will remain in our mind and heart!
