"Shota" waves Kosovar flag in Seoul

The saying that culture is the best lobbyist for a nation to be recognized throughout the globe was proved to be true these days by the National Ensemble of Songs and Dances “SHOTA”. A few days ago, this ensemble, besides participating and winning a prize in a World Festival of Dances in Seoul of South Korea, it also made our flag to wave among many other states of the world in the distant Asia. The emotions and the success of this event are still a fresh feeling for the director of this institution, Dilaver Kryeziu, and also its members.

They have now even been attributed as patriots of our time. This was also admitted by the minister of Culture in a meeting with “Shota” ensemble which took place two days ago. This ensemble participated in this year’s edition of the World Dance Festival from which they returned along with the third prize of this festival. In this festival “Shota” played dances of all Albanian lands whereas the two dances were from the choreograph Fehmi Shaqiri, “Celebration of Independence” and “Dance of Freedom”, the dance with motifs from area of Karadaku, and the one of Rugova, which led the ensemble towards success by winning one of the three main prizes of the festival.

In an address to “Kosova Sot”, the director of the ensemble, Dilaver Kryeziu, stated that the success achieved by “Shota” in the World Dance Festival in Seoul which started on September 22 is one of the greatest achievements by this ensemble ever and in particular in a distant country.

He said to have “bombarded” the stage of the festival. Also according to him, Kosovar dances have been well received by the audience attending the festival. “Winning the third prize of the festival was not our only success there. The most important was that we were representing our country and our flag was waving among 22 others of many nations of the globe”, he stated, adding that the dance of “Shota” was covered by the domestic media who showed interest for our dances. Kryeziu noted that during the marching of the ensembles, the audience was very friendly with Kosovo participants.

According to him, the audience applauded for many minutes the performance of Kosovar artists. But the World Dance Festival was not the only story that “Shota” has to tell. Two days before this festival began, on September 22, the Kosovar ensemble was presented at the conclusion of the International Theatre Festival which takes place in this Asian city and has a tradition. According to Kryeziu, “Shota” performed at the conclusion of this festival of theatres together with Brazil and Mexico which he deemed to be a good opportunity to represent the state of Kosovo. For Kryeziu, the best of all that performance was that the flag of the state of Kosovo was there, too.

“We were introduced as a state from Europe”, stated Kryeziu. “Shota”’s participation in Seoul has also served in establishing new cooperation with various countries. Kryeziu stated that movements have began in this context as well. “We are in touch with several festival managers from Bulgaria and Turkey and expect that they will be here in the next couple months for further develop our cooperation”, stated Kryeziu. Last Friday, the minister of Culture, Memli Krasniqi, received the leaders of dancers of the National Ensemble of Songs and Dances, “Shota” following the success achieved in the festival held in Soul, South Korea. On this event, Krasniqi called ensemble “Shota” a true ambassador of the culture and the tradition of the Republic of Kosovo.