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IN ENGLISH

Welcome to the web pages of folk dance group Kirjavat!


In South Korea
photo: Kirjavat


photo: Heikki Knaapi
Kirjavat is a Finnish folk dance group, which consists
of young adult dancers, 4 boys and 9 girls aged
from 24 to 28 years. The group has been founded
in 1995 and belongs to two youth associations: Rajan Nuoret and Merenlahti. The group director is Merja Skyttä. 

Kirjavat comes from the city of Lappeenranta
which lies near the Russian border and
about 220 km NE from Finland’s capital city Helsinki. Lappeenranta is located in the South Karelia
region and also on the shore of the biggest lake
in Finland, Saimaa. Most of the group's dances have origins in Karelian folk dance culture.

Kirjavat has travelled around Finland during
the years and taken part in various national
and regional folk dance festivals and competitions
in which the group has been very successful and
awarded many times. The group has been classified
in the gold category in 2004 in the National Children
and Youngsters’ Classification. Kirjavat has also taken part in organizing festivals for children, and done a lot of volunteer work in these festivals.

Kirjavat has been classified in the best category in the National Adults’ Classification, first in 2009 and again
in 2013 and 2015. In the year 2009 Kirjavat was the only group to
reach the highest category.


In 2014 Kirjavat was chosen as Folk Dance Ensemble of the Year in Finland! It's one of the highest recognitions a folk dance group can receive in Finland.
Photo: Jussi Kaijankangas


Kirjavat has experience in performing and participating in international festivals abroad:

Mexico (2014)
Turkey (2012)
Phtoto: Heikki Knaapi
Philippines and Sweden (2011)
Peru and South Korea (2010)
Portugal (2008)
Spain (2007)
Hungary (2006)
Sweden (2002) 


Contacts:
kirjavat (at) gmail.com
You can also find us from Facebook, 
as Kansantanssiryhmä Kirjavat

and Instagram, as @kirjavat



Photo: Heikki Knaapi
photo: Kirjavat

photo:Kirjavat