JULY 10-12TH, 2026
Organisers of the event
Patron
Organisers of the event
Patron
© 2020 - 2026 • XVII North American Lithuanian Folk Dance Festival • All rights reserved.
© 2020 - 2026 • XVII North American Lithuanian Folk Dance Festival • All rights reserved.
Purus enim, tristique.
Purus enim, tristique
Purus enim, tristique.
During the 17th North American Lithuanian Folk Dance Festival, we invite you to a meeting with Tadas Kubilius, Head of the Return to Lithuania Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who returned to live in Lithuania after studying and working in Chicago.
During the meeting, we will discuss the most important achievements of modern Lithuania, opportunities for returning and fostering ties with Lithuania, and other topics relevant to Lithuanians living abroad.
This is a great opportunity to ask questions and receive relevant information about returning or arriving in Lithuania.
July 10 | 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Prairie Room, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.
2233 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Chicago, IL 60616
We are waiting for you!
Tadas Varaneckas
Tadas was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, to a family of post-war Lithuanian immigrants. As a child, he fell in love with dance after watching his older sister dance on stage. After studying various dance styles, he graduated from The Ohio State University, where he received a degree in computer science and engineering, and a minor in artistic dance.
His interest in Lithuanian folk dance arose later, while visiting Lithuania, where he saw the beauty of its culture. The instilled love for Lithuania and its culture brought Tadas to the Dance Festival stage as a creator, teacher, and one of the organizers of the Festival. He was invited to perform solo parts at the 15th and 16th North American Lithuanian Folk Dance Festivals. At the 16th Dance Festival, he created the dance "Išjojo jojo", and was also a member of the creative group of this festival and deputy artistic director.
For eleven years, Tadas has been dancing with the Chicago Lithuanian Folk Dance Ensemble "Grandis", teaching dance whenever possible and has danced in performances all over the world, and in 2023-2024 he became the ensemble's deputy artistic director. Tadas is happy and proud to be Lithuanian, sincerely participates in Lithuanian activities, and cherishes and cherishes Lithuanian heritage and culture.
Aušrine Širvinskiene
Aušrinė Širvinskienė was born and raised in Lithuania. Upon arriving in the United States, Aušrinė immediately became involved in Lithuanian activities: she taught at a Lithuanian school for nine years, and in 2003 founded the Cleveland folk dance group Švyturys, which she still leads today.
Four folk dance festivals "Juventus" were organized on her initiative. The dance group led by Aušrine has performed in Canada, Lithuania, Sweden, England, Argentina, Mexico, and this fall will travel to Scotland. She was a member of the creative group of the 16th Folk Dance Festival and the author of the script for the Song Festival "One Family - One Nation".
Aušrinė also writes poetry - her verses have been used in more than one hymn and song that has been performed at North American song festivals.
Tomas Mikuckis
Tomas Mikuckis has been the artistic director of the Boston Lithuanian folk dance company "Samburis" since 2006. During that time, "Samburis" has participated in five Folk Dance Festivals (XIII, XIV, XV, XVI and XVII), danced three times in Lithuania at the World Lithuanian Song Festival Dance Day (in 2014, 2018 and 2024), and frequently performs in the Boston area and elsewhere in North America.
Tomas was the chief artistic director of the 2016 XV Lithuanian National Dance Festival, as well as a member of the creative groups of the 13th and 17th festivals. In Lithuania, he was a member of the 2018 Lithuanian Song Festival Dance Day creative group, ballet master of the diaspora section and coordinator of the North and South American dance groups. In 2007 and 2009, he was a rehearsal assistant for the Dance Day. Tomas grew up in Los Angeles, attending St. Casimir's Lithuanian School and dancing with the LB Youth Ensemble "Spindulys". He studied chemistry and physics at Harvard University, where he also danced on the sports ballroom dance team. He is a partner at the management consulting firm Oliver Wyman.
Birute Mar
BIRUTĖ MAR (Marcinkevičiūtė) – Lithuanian actress, director, playwright, poet. She studied directing and acting at the St. Petersburg Institute of Theater, Music and Film, later winning a Bunkacho scholarship (Japan), she studied Japanese traditional theater and dance in Tokyo. From 1994 to 2025. she was an actress of the Lithuanian National Drama Theater troupe, creating a number of memorable roles. Birute Mar gained international recognition for her one-man shows, which won a number of international theater festival awards and visited more than thirty countries. In 2018. together with co-creators, she established the independent SOLO THEATRE.
The creator also writes scripts, plays, librettos and directs operas, musical projects, performances, has published 10 books (essays, poetry, prose for children), presents her work at international literary festivals. In 2009, she wrote the script for the Lithuanian Millennium Song Festival Dance Day "Laiko brydėm". The most important awards in Lithuania: Medal of the Order of the Republic of Lithuania "For Merits to Lithuania" (2018), Culture and Art Prize of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (2020), the highest award of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania "Carry Your Light and Believe" (2021)
More about Birutė Mar's work: www.birutemar.lt
Audra Lintakienė
She started dancing Lithuanian dances in kindergarten and has been dancing ever since. She has participated in all Lithuanian national dance festivals since 1968. In addition to teaching, she has held various positions at festivals - she was a festival assistant, a square assistant, and a stage manager.
She danced her first polkas with Kristijonas Donelaitis Lithuanian School, later joining Lemontas „Spindulis”. She taught folk dances at Lemontas Maironis Lithuanian School. She has participated in Lithuanian dance festivals since 1994, and in 1998 she was a liaison between Lithuania and the diaspora for the Dance Day.
„Audra has been dancing and working at Spindulys (Lemont) for 47 years – she started as a dancer, later became a teacher: she founded a children's group, taught children, young people, students and even veterans. She works on the creative committee of the 17th festival.
Antanas Kucinskas
Composer, Doctor of Humanities, Professor at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, Artistic Director of the Lithuanian Symphony Wind Orchestra.
He composes music for film, theater (he has collaborated with directors Birute Mar, Jonas Vaitkus, Rimas Tuminas, Vytautas Rumšas, etc.), chamber and orchestral music. He has composed three operas for children at the Klaipėda Musical Theater. His music has been performed in Lithuania, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the USA, etc.
Laimute Kisieliene
Lithuanian choreographer, teacher.
In 1973 she graduated from the Klaipėda Faculty of Music (ballet directing) of the Šiauliai Pedagogical Institute. In 1973–75 she worked at the Choreography Department of the Lithuanian Folk Art Palace, and in 1981–89 at the Scientific Methodological Culture Centre in Vilnius. In 1975–81 she was the artistic director of the dance ensemble "Vaiva" of the Republican Trade Unions' Culture Palace in Vilnius. In 1994–2005 she taught at the Vilnius Conservatory (from 2004 at the Faculty of Arts of Vilnius College). Since 2005 she has been teaching at the Academy of Education of Vytautas Magnus University (until 2011 at Vilnius Pedagogical University, from 2011–18 at the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences), in 2009–10 she was the Head of the Department of Art Education at the Institute of Culture and Art Education of the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences; Professor. 2005
2000–01 Ballet master of the State Song and Dance Ensemble Lithuania. Ballet master of the Lithuanian Song Festival Dance Day (1980), Principal Ballet Master of the School Song Festival (1987) and Lithuanian National Song Festival (1990), Script writer, artistic director and principal ballet master of the World Lithuanian Song Festival Dance Day (1994, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2018), Artistic Director and Director of the Lithuanian Millennium Song Festival Dance Day (2009). Created more than 70 stage Lithuanian folk dances, authorial dance collections "Rytagonė" (2000), "Girnelės" (2009), "Linas" (with Snieguola Einikytė, 2006, 2 parts, the second part also with Gražina Kasparavičiūtė), "Zur zur melnyčia" (2015). Prepared teaching materials "Lithuanian ethnic choreography classification: Wheel" (2011), "Lithuanian ethnic choreography classification: Dancing games" (2012), methodological tool "Lithuanian folk stage dance steps, their combinations and dances" (with Raminta Čyplytė, 2017).
Medal of the Order of Gediminas (2005).
Romas Jonusonis
Born and raised in Punsk (Poland). After graduating from the Punsk General Education Lyceum, he entered the Klaipėda Faculty of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and graduated with a degree in ballroom dancing. In 2001, he arrived in Toronto (Canada), where he began working with the Toronto Lithuanian youth ensemble "Gintaras". Since 2005, he has been the leader of the ensemble and a teacher of the youth group.
One of the artistic directors of the 14th Estonian Dance Festival held in Boston in 2012.
In 2024, he will be the chief ballet master of the expatriate part of the World Lithuanian Song Festival Dance Day.
Sigita Barysiene
Born in Lithuania, she came to live in Los Angeles, California, in 1996 after winning a ”green card“.
She acquired the basics of choreography at the then Vilnius School of Culture (now Vilnius College) with professionals, some of the best teachers of the time: classical dance teacher L. Motiejūnaitė, former head of the classical dance studio "Liepsnelė"; K. Poškaitė - head of the department, teacher of dance description; B. Navickaitė-Buterlevičienė - course leader, teacher of folk dance and character dance; N. Pavilonienė - teacher of ballroom dance. After obtaining her specialty in Lithuania, she worked with dance groups for 16 years. For the last five years before coming to the USA, she worked at the then Vilnius Secondary School No. 47, teaching dance students. This was the second school in the newly independent Lithuania where folk dance lessons were included in the curriculum.
Having acquired a choreography specialty with a specialization in event organization in Lithuania, upon arriving in the USA, I was unable to immediately apply it and had to change my work profile. However, culture, social activities, the desire to participate in Lithuanian activities, and raising children in the Lithuanian spirit were the main goals of my life. This activity began in the Los Angeles dance ensemble „Spindulys”, several years of teaching at the Los Angeles St. Casimir Lithuanian School, and active participation in the activities of the Lithuanian Community in the USA continues to this day. My favorite job, apart from all other obligations, and a relief for my heart from the whirlwinds of life, has always been and is the dance group „Retro”, which I have been leading for 23 years.
Awarded the medal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania "For the Merits of Lithuanians of the World to Lithuania".
Book presentation event of writer, poet, and prose writer Dr. Liutauras Degėsys
We invite you to an event where Dr. Liutauras Degėsys – a well-known Lithuanian philosopher, poet, prose writer, author of numerous scientific works, essay collections and poetry books – will invite you to get acquainted with his poetry, prose and journalistic works. During the event, a collection of poetry texts and musical scores for those texts „Ant vėjo” will be presented.
wings“ and Liutauras Degėsys’s latest poetry collection „Būtasis kartinis“. The presentation will be accompanied by audio recordings featuring songs written to L. Degėsys’s verses.
You will be able to browse and purchase Liutaurs Degėsys's latest prose books: his essay collection "Everything Wasn't Right" and his two latest novels "It Won't Be Easy" and "Dreamers Don't Sleep". Pages from the prose books will be accompanied by the author's comments on the books' main ideas: the boundaries between reality and dream, human loneliness and dependence on others, and the problematic nature of destructive relationships.
Liutauras Degėsys studied psychology and philosophy at Vilnius University, holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree, has taught and interned in Lithuania and abroad, worked at the universities of Prague and Budapest, and improved his skills in Sweden and the USA.
L. Degėsys is a member of the Lithuanian Writers' Union and the Lithuanian Journalists' Union. He belongs to the Lithuanian PEN Center.
Dr. Liutauras Degėsys has been awarded the Government Culture and Art Prize for poetry and books of philosophical essays (2013), and twice awarded the Ministry of Culture Prize for journalism (2010, 2017). L. Degėsys is the laureate of the 2020 Vaižgantas Prize for prose and journalism.
The lecture will be held in Lithuanian.
„Gabalėliai Lietuvos" (NOT ONLY) CITIZENSHIP
IS DUAL CITIZENSHIP REALLY NOT FOR YOU – AND OTHER WAYS TO MAINTAIN CONNECTION WITH LITHUANIA? MEETING WITH LAWYER AND RESEARCHER AISTE ŽEMAITIENE
Is dual citizenship really not possible in Lithuania? There are many, many exceptions – and many people do not know that they fall into one of them – maybe you do too? If not – are there other ways to maintain a connection with Lithuania – what are they and which one will suit you? Where to start, what to choose, how to achieve it? Lawyer Aistė Žemaitienė, with more than 10 years of experience in restoring Lithuanian citizenship, residence permits in Lithuania, issuing certificates of Lithuanian origin and other areas, as well as helping to search for information about ancestors in Lithuanian archives, will tell you about everything from the inside!
The lecture will be held in Lithuanian.
„Gabalėliai Lietuvos” LITHUANIAN LANDMARKS IN AMERICA AND THE WORLD
LET'S MEET THE AUTHORS OF THE BOOK SERIES, WEBSITES, AND FILMS ABOUT LITHUANIAN DIASPORA HERITAGE SITES
Which diaspora Lithuanian landmarks abroad are the most impressive? Where are they concentrated, and how do Lithuanian churches, cemeteries, monuments, and clubs differ in different continents? How did the different waves of Lithuanian diaspora shape these Lithuanian wonders around the world? Come hear and see for yourself at a meeting with the authors of "True Lithuania" / "Gabalėliai Lietuvos", Augustinas Žemaitis and Aistė Žemaitienė! They visited, photographed, and filmed over 1,500 Lithuanian churches, monuments, clubhouses, cemeteries, notable graves, museums, and other sites in more than 50 countries, listening to and recording their stories. They have published two books, "Lithuanian Landmarks in America" and "Lithuanian Landmarks in Latin America"; they created an online encyclopedia of Lithuanian sites abroad, numerous films, and an interactive map. At this event, they will showcase the most impressive photos and footage from the top Lithuanian landmarks all over the world, share behind-the-scenes stories from their expeditions, and explain how the album-atlas "Lithuanian Landmarks in the World" came to be.
The lecture will be held in English
“Map of Happiness” with Rimantas Kulvinskytė
„Map of Happiness”: a meeting for everyone who feels stuck, lives on autopilot or does not understand why they do not feel fulfilled, although, at first glance, it seems that they have everything they could dream of. The fundamentals that make up our sense of meaning, our own and desired forms of happiness, the first steps towards greater self-confidence and the „Map of Happiness” workshop – both teenagers and adults are welcome here. The meeting will be hosted by journalist and writer Rimantė Kulvinskytė, who has chosen happiness as the object of her research for more than 8 years, the forms of which she discusses both in the „Happiness Diet” radio shows and on her blog.
The lecture will be held in Lithuanian.
PILATES with Aira
LET'S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER: I am a Pilates trainer with 11 years of professional teaching experience and 18 years of personal practice in this field. I am happy to introduce you to the benefits of this methodology. If you are trying Pilates for the first time, this will be a safe start, and if you are already practicing, I invite you to gain new experience through my style.
WHAT IS PILATES EXERCISE? It is a safe and effective movement methodology focused on strengthening the deep muscles of the body, spinal stability, flexibility and correct posture. Here, physical activity is combined with conscious breathing and body control.
WHAT TO EXPECT? Calm, yet deep and focused movements that will help you awaken your body, relieve muscle tension, recharge your energy, and feel better amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
This activity is ideal for anyone:
“Gabalėliai Lietuvos“
What are the most impressive Lithuanian wonders in the world? In which foreign countries are there the most of them, how are the “Gabalėliai Lietuvos“ different in the USA, Canada and other countries? What Lithuanian wonders were created by different waves of emigration? Hear and see at a meeting with Augustinas and Aiste Žemaičiais, authors of the book series and websites “Gabalėliai Lietuvos“! They visited, photographed, filmed over 1,500 Lithuanian churches, monuments, club halls, cemeteries, famous graves, museums and other places in more than 50 countries, listened to and wrote down their stories. They published two books “Gabalėliai Lietuvos“, created an online encyclopedia of Lithuanian places abroad, an interactive map and many films. And at this meeting they will show the most impressive photos and footage from around the world, tell the behind-the-scenes stories of expeditions searching for Lithuanian places in the world – and how the albums-atlases “Gabalėliai Lietuvos“ were born.
The lecture will be held in Lithuanian.
Liutauras Degėsys “Culture and art as a complication of life and reality”
We invite you to a lecture in which Dr. Liutauras Degėsys – a well-known Lithuanian philosopher, poet, prose writer, author of numerous scientific works, essay collections, and poetry books – will invite you to look at art as a way to prepare for a complex, unpredictable life.
In the lecture we will talk about why the world does not fit into schemes, stereotypes and templates - and how art can help us come to terms with this. The text will be illustrated with the works of Lithuanian artists. During the lecture you will learn:
Art not only liberates, but also encourages experimentation, develops tolerance for uncertainty, helps to change and accept otherness. Liutauras Degėsys studied psychology and philosophy at Vilnius University, is a doctor of philosophy, taught and interned in Lithuania and abroad, worked at the universities of Prague and Budapest, and improved his skills in Sweden and the USA. L. Degėsys is a member of the Lithuanian Writers' Union and the Lithuanian Journalists' Union. He belongs to the Lithuanian PEN Center.
Dr. Liutauras Degėsys has been awarded the Government Culture and Art Prize for poetry and books of philosophical essays (2013), and twice awarded the Ministry of Culture Prize for journalism (2010, 2017). L. Degėsys is the laureate of the 2020 Vaižgantas Prize for prose and journalism.
The lecture will be held in Lithuanian.
“The Happiness Diet” with Rimante
For 8 years and hundreds of interviewees: scientists, public figures, professionals in their field and people who have radically changed their lives - this is how the "Happiness Diet" is being created, in which the latest scientific discoveries are combined with everyday sources of happiness and processes that awaken the joy of life. In this lecture, writer and journalist, happiness researcher Rimantė Kulvinskytė will review her collected happiness lessons and share her most commonly used happiness practices.
The lecture is intended for everyone – both teenagers and older listeners. If not to learn, then certainly to remember, the corners of the soul and the choices in which each of us lives our happiness.
The lecture will be held in Lithuanian.
PILATES with Aira
LET'S GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER: I am a Pilates trainer with 11 years of professional teaching experience and 18 years of personal practice in this field. I am happy to introduce you to the benefits of this methodology. If you are trying Pilates for the first time, this will be a safe start, and if you are already practicing, I invite you to gain new experience through my style.
WHAT IS PILATES EXERCISE? It is a safe and effective movement methodology focused on strengthening the deep muscles of the body, spinal stability, flexibility and correct posture. Here, physical activity is combined with conscious breathing and body control.
WHAT TO EXPECT? Calm, yet deep and focused movements that will help you awaken your body, relieve muscle tension, recharge your energy, and feel better amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. This class is ideal for anyone: