By CANDACE MIERS

clm049@latech.edu

 

Where else can men in tight pants play with women, spoons and musical instruments?

The Louisiana Tech Concert Association and School of Performing Arts presented The Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival Oct. 13 at Howard Auditorium, Center for the Performing Arts.

“The show was very entertaining, and I thought it was neat to learn about other cultures,” Jenny LaBatt, a senior architecture major, said.

Russian culture was the theme of the entire dancing and singing festival, depicting Russian folk stories, traditional songs and cultural-based dancing.

Nikolai Massenkoff told the stories of the Russian history and ethnicity through song.

The festival also featured the Balalaika Ensemble and Russian dancers.

The first song, accompanied with an orange background, was played by the ensemble featuring Vladimir Dedykh, Maxim Massenkoff and Nicolai Prisakar.

Dancing to the beat of the band were the four dancers: Youri Nelzine (dance master), Lilia Babenko, Ksenia Litomisky and Artour Sangueli.

Following the dance, the ensemble performed and were followed by Nikolai Massenkoff singing several songs such as “Twelve Robbers.”

The song, sung entirely in Russian, told a story about 12 thieves and their leader, who was redeemed by God and changed his old ghastly ways.

More songs followed, as well as a dance with spoons.

“The spoons were my favorite part,” LaBatt said. “Everything to do with the spoons was great — the clinking, the sitting part and the dancing.”

Sascha Poeschl, a senior architecture major, said he agrees the spoons were fun, but said his favorite part was the spinning ladies.

“I thought the turning thing the dancers did was neat,” he said.

In the spinning dance called “Dark is the Night,” the four dancers wore matching blue outfits. The two men twirled and lifted the two women dancers at the same time.

After more dancing, mixed with various speeds of singing, the audience received a Russii Oorok, or a Russian Lesson.

Massenkoff, the teacher of the impromptu Russian 101 lesson taught the audience various words and phrases like “kiss,” “yes,” “thank you” and “I love you all.”

Massenkoff told the audience he felt at home when they were reciting the words.

“You all sound beautiful,” he said.

Poeschl said he was too slow to pick up the Russian lesson, but had a fun time anyway.

Britney Wallace, a junior photography major, said she enjoyed the Russian lesson as well as all other parts of the show.

She said, “The performances are very vibrant and definitely portray their customs and their inner joy of music and dance.”