SAINT SAVA OPLENAC FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE

HISTORY

The story of Saint Sava Oplenac Folklore Ensemble began when our Mother Church, Saint Sava and the parish hall were built at the corner of Gerrad and River Streets in Toronto. The parish hall was built and consecrated on September 5th, 1954 by, then, Vladika Nikolaj Velimirović of Ohrid and Žiča, who was canonized into sainthood on May 24, 2003 by the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The church was finished and consecrated on May 22, 1955. This was a monumental point in time for the Serbian community in Toronto and for the following 7 decades.

Life around the Church began to blossom when the former Youth Club Šumadija members founded Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church Choir on February 22, 1955.

The Saint Sava church formed a Sunday school in 1956, which had four grades and 84 students by 1965. 

In the following years, three junior groups were created all under the umbrella of the St. Sava Choir:

1. The Saint Sava Junior Choir was created in 1961 with 40 young voices, directed by Mirjana Dragašević. 
2. By 1962 The Saint Sava Junior Tamburica Group was formed with over 20 young tamburaši, directed by Đorđe Joksimović, and later Baća Kiurski. 
3. Also in 1962, the Saint Sava Junior Folklore Group was formed with the first director Dragoslav Radosavljević.

• The first Senior Folklore Group Stražilovo was founded 1954, and its choreographer was Radisav Dodić, later replaced by Dragoslav Radosavljević. The folklore group Stražilovo danced at the BBC program called “The Song of My People”, performed at Massey Hall and Exhibition Place, on the same stage where Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope performed).

Toronto’s Multicultural Festival Caravan was established in 1968 by Leon and Zena Kossar as a nine day event to celebrate the cultural diversity of the city. Saint Sava Church took part in this event and named the parish hall the Oplenac Pavilion for this occasion. The Saint Sava Junior Folklore Group became inactive in the early 70s and a new dance group, Oplenac was formed in 1974. These early days were inspired by a strong desire to create a community for future generations, where they could preserve faith, language, culture and traditions. Everyone volunteered their time and mothers sewed folklore costumes themselves to support the dance group. 

Caravan participation presented a key vehicle in showcasing an enormous Serbian folklore heritage to the Canadian public. The dance performances evolved from a simple peasant dance to the level of pure art in today’s performing spectacles. With the arrival of several new choreographers from Serbia in the 1990s, new colourful and diversified choreographies were introduced to the Serbian-Canadian scene. Most of the new dance instructors brought with them a wealth of knowledge acquired by performing with prestigious folklore associations in Serbia. The respected and only professional National Ensemble KOLO from Belgrade produced exceptional dancers who later became dance instructors and choreographers. 

As the Serbian population in the GTA grew, so did their needs for more space and a larger church. The Church Congregation Sveti Sava had an opportunity and purchased a property at Dundas and Dixie Road in Mississauga on June 3, 1983. Renovation of the government building that would become the Serbian Centre in Mississauga was completed in 1984. The Serbian Centre in Mississauga became a cultural and networking hub for all Serbs including newcomers from the 1990s. It also became a new home for the Oplenac Folklore Group where its membership tripled in size. Folk dancing was a vehicle for cultural education, social activity, where children could grow in a safe environment and learn about their faith, traditions and Serbian identity. The monumental All Serbian Saints Serbian Orthodox Church was built and consecrated in June 2002 and represents a landmark in Mississauga for its beauty and style. 

The Oplenac Folklore Ensemble continued to nurture a collective Serbian identity through their performances. They performed at Expo in 1986 in Vancouver, the Consecration of our parish’s All Serbian Saints Serbian Orthodox Church in June 2002, travelled to Serbia several times and hosted many folk-fest events, including the annual fundraising lunch for the Saint Petka Monastery near Paraćin, Serbia, where elderly nuns are taking care of 80 adult disabled individuals. Oplenac was a joy to watch perform at the 2002 consecration of our church, a 3 day event, when our dancers spent countless hours preparing for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Also, our group took up the organization of the annual multicultural weekend celebration called Carassauga and has won many prestigious awards including several for the best display room of our Serbian culture and traditions.

Initiative to change the Oplenac folklore group’s name was proposed in 2017. The reason was to avoid confusion between the two groups with the same name in the same town. It was decided to keep the Oplenac part and add its original name of Saint Sava. This is why today’s group name is Saint Sava Oplenac Folklore Ensemble.

Saint Sava Oplenac Folklore Ensemble has gone through several reorganizations during its existence, but has managed to progress and folk-dancing became the most popular activity thanks to the support of our children, parents and community. The Serbian Orthodox church has played a significant role in the development of the organization. While other dance groups were branching away from the church, Sveti Sava Oplenac has stayed strongly connected. Cultural growth and preservation of the community as a whole would be impossible without the church. 

What is a kolo and what does it represent? 

Kolo is a Serbian journey through dance, passing down stories from one generation to the next. It originates from ancient history and it resembles communal joyous events like weddings. It is hard to imagine any Serbian celebration without a kolo. It reflects happiness by connecting people joined by hands and moving in a synchronized circular motion. At the same time it tells a story of the region and its people. Every village contributed to the evolution of the kolo dance, by their unique, beautiful, colourful costumes with woven patterns recognized and protected by UNESCO, to perfecting the music for kolos, which mirror their history, mentality and customs. Every region has developed its own authentic kolo, costumes, musical arrangement, rhythm and a story to tell. Some regions created kolo dances without musical accompaniment, due to certain historical events, when kolo dancing was forbidden by invaders. 

Why is it important to preserve and foster folklore groups in Canada?

The word kolo translates to “wheel” reflecting the core formation of the dance - a closed circle, hand in hand, dancers moving as one. This circle symbolizes community, inclusivity, and a bond of the Serbian spirit. Whether celebrating life's milestones or expressing solidarity during hardships, the kolo binds Serbs together, fostering a sense of belonging and shared identity. It gives dancers a sense of pride and togetherness, creates lasting friendships, which sometimes evolves to kumstvo and marriage.

The sense of belonging is a key factor for our youth. In childhood, dancers grow together and learn traditions and values. They learn the history and customs of their ancestors. Aside from that, they learn leadership skills, team work, punctuality and respect. Our church plays a significant role by having a dance group by welcoming everyone, cherishing faith and offering a safe environment for children to feel loved and included. Folklore groups are communal organizations and require a huge sacrifice and volunteer commitments from parents, which in the end is so rewarding! 

This is why we all need to keep kolo dancing alive under this roof and elsewhere, as it helps build children’s character as future community members, who will continue passing on the love for their faith and heritage.

Today, The Saint Sava Folklore Ensemble is a strong auxiliary organization of the All Serbian Saints Serbian Orthodox Church of Mississauga Ontario.

Our current dance instructor is Nick Kopač, who is bringing his dancing and teaching experience from various reputable folklore groups in Canada and Serbia.

Rehearsal schedule is as follows:

Thursdays:

Gr. 3 Children age 3-6 @5:45 - 6:45 p.m.

Gr. 2 Children age 7-13 @6:45 -7:45 p.m.

Gr. 1 Children age 14 - 22 @ 7:45 - 9:30 p.m.

Sundays:

Gr. 1 Children age 14-22 @6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 

New members welcome!

If you have any questions or if you would like to sign up to dance in our group, please send us an email to:

saintsavaoplenac@gmail.com.

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Please support our effort and help St. Sava Oplenac thrive for another 50 years!