Dancing full circle

Overseen by the Croatian Canadian Folklore Federation West, the festival has taken place in western Canadian cities from Winnipeg to Victoria. The CCC also plans to welcome a group from San Jose this year. Vancouver last hosted the festival in 2019; Tamburaški Orkestar Kardinal Stepinac (TOKS), a group focused on preserving Croatian music through playing the long-neck lute, tamburica, organized it.

“Canada’s my home, but Croatia is my home too,” says the Canadian-born Zlomislic whose grandparents on both sides immigrated to Canada from Croatia over 60 years ago. “This is the same for so many other people in our community; this kind of [event] brings you closer to a home that you’ve never lived in.”

Zlomislic leads the CCC’s folklore dance group, Hrvatski Vitezovi Vancouver, who is hosting this year’s festivities. As a child, she danced with the group. A social and pub night at the CCC, featuring the Canadian-Croatian cover band, Duo Zrinjski, opens the three-day event. Traditional and contemporary Croatian songs bring the performances off stage and into the social world of banquets.

There will be a semi-formal, evening banquet at the CCC on Saturday May 17 with live music from Babino Sunce & Grah I Jeċam. At the banquet, guests will be served traditional Croatian dishes and western food.

“In a lot of regions and on the coast of Croatia, they’ll eat things like squid,” says Zlomislic, noting the country’s attention to seafood. “There’s a lot of influence from other places; other food would be like cabbage salad, [and] a lot of potatoes.”

Roast pig is another popular dish. The festival’s headlining event – folklore dance performances – will be held at the Great Canadian Casino on May 17. The last day involves a Holy Mass at Vancouver’s Croatian church, the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

“Then, on Sunday night, we are bringing over from Ontario a younger group,” adds Zlomislic, referring to the Hamilton-based Ponosni Hrvati. “They are absolutely fantastic, and [we] love to keep it going and have the singing go all night.”

“It’s very, very lively,” she says of the music. “When these bands are playing, we are still dancing folk dance, and you have to be able to move your feet fast.”

She adds that attendees often join in a kolo or circle – a traditional Croatian dance that involves grabbing others’ hands while stepping or running together in the circle.

“They can either intertwine their arms or hold hands, but they can’t really separate,” she explains. “They go into pairs; they have dances where girls are ‘flying,’ and the guys are holding them in the circle.”

Finding home

Croatian dances vary by region. The CCC’s senior dance group will perform a traditional wedding dance from Zagorje, a region in Northern Croatia. The dance features a bride, a groom and the bridal party. While most parts are choreographed, performers can add their own flair. For instance, female performers make a high-pitched, rhythmic trill (sometimes called ululation).

“The girls can often do this whenever they want to throughout the dance,” Zlomislic explains, adding the sound expresses joy and encourages dancers as well as musicians. “It’s really to pump everybody up and really focus on that celebration aspect while you’re dancing.”

Zlomislic also looks forward to seeing the costumes often made by the performers’ mothers; others are brought from Croatia. The CCC’s costume room also stores them –
highlighting the region-based diversity of Croatia.

“In a region called Lika, it can get quite cold, so you have heavy wool; it’s very warm costumes that are a little bit more muted, but they are stunning as well,” she explains. “When you go down the coast, in the areas that are warmer, you have lighter cotton fabrics, and everything is a little bit more breathable.”

Outside of the festival, the CCC has served as a much-needed meeting place for the local Croatian diaspora.

“People in our community call it the ‘dom,’ which means ‘home,’” she says, adding the festival is the result of many community members’ efforts. “This is where you have your kid’s baptism party; this is where you have your wedding; this is our home; this is where we meet to be together.”

For more information, see www.croatiancentre.com/events/westfest47