Folklore ensemble
Levandra
"Levandra" was founded in 1986 and led by Teklė Džervienė. Later the ensemble was led by Janina Bartkevičienė, Ona Kizelienė, and since 2019 by Laimutė Žūsinienė.
Director Laimutė Žūsinienė, artistic director of the Punia branch
The creative credo of the ensemble is the revival and preservation of Dzūkija folklore traditions.
The repertoire is based on Lithuanian folk songs, rhythms and games, and the members also like to sing romances.
The 34-year activity of the collective is marked by thematic programmes, concerts, and a special emphasis on the genres of narrative folklore. The group tries to interpret the rites of the calendar festivals in today's context and to combine tradition with modernity.
In 1995, 17 of the ensemble's songs were recorded on the Lithuanian National Radio and Television.
In 1997, the ensemble made a lasting impression during a concert visit to a folklore festival in Turkey in 13 European countries
In 1999, LRT produced a film about Levandra entitled "Ten, kur seni milžinkapiai stūkso" (Where the old giant stūks). CD released.
The ensemble is a regular participant of the World Lithuanian Song Festivals, folklore festivals, events in Alytus district and the Punia eldership. It has also performed in Belarus, Poland and participated in the LRT programme "Gero ūpo".
