Performer

Opincuta

Moldova

2017.07.12

The folk ensemble “Opincuta” was founded in 1990. The name of the group comes from the name of traditional footwear worn by Moldavian peasants on their work-days.

This noun has to be pronounced “opincutsa”, like in romanian. The group was formed by Maria Lupu in the times and “wave” of national revival and the detachment of Moldova from the Soviet Union. That’s why the folk group “Opincuta” is one of the first groups that began to collect, study and perform the folk traditions long forgotten. That’s why our ensemble is one of the few that perform the authentic or elaborated folk dance and not the stylized one.

Our repertoire comprises 15 folk dances (from different regions of Moldova), mirth songs, lullabies, ballads, melancholy romanian folk songs (doinas), traditional games for children, instrumental songs, different customs and traditions (e.g. agrarian, winter, wedding or family rituals). Our choreographic repertoire belongs to different regions of whole Moldavian folk region Note: another part of Moldova folk region belongs nowadays to Romania, because the territory of Republic of Moldova was, in the past, a part of Romania. That’s why, by “Moldova” we mean the whole Moldavian folk region (the Historical Moldova), not only Rep. of Moldova.