In 1948, an amateur group from Kalinin appeared on the stage for the first time on the stage of the Hermitage Theater in a pop program with the participation of such masters of Russian pop as Shulzhenko, Utesov, Garkavi, Mironov. 16 girls in Russian sundresses moved smoothly in a mesmerizing round dance. This was the first performance of the Berezka ensemble.
The creator of the collective was Nadezhda Nadezhdina, a former classical ballet dancer, later a choreographer. The first performance of the ensemble in Moscow made a splash! It was absolutely different from what the audience had seen before, the new choreographic ensemble was strikingly different from the well-known pop and folk groups.
Why birch
The first dance with which the ensemble made its debut on the Moscow stage was precisely the dance "Birch". It was a folk dance, a round dance, known in the regions of Central Russia and in Belarus. It was performed during the holiday of spring chants.
Its obligatory element was birch branches in the hands of the participants - this symbolized the spring rebirth of nature.
… Nadezhda Nadezhdina staged a stage version of this dance. It was performed to the well-known music to the folk song "There was a birch tree in the field."
As in the traditional round dance, the girls moved smoothly in a circle, holding handkerchiefs and birch twigs in their hands. The spectators were especially impressed by the special sliding step of the dancers. Dressed in long sundresses to the floor, they seemed to just stand still, and the stage was moving under them - their movements were so smooth. It was this sliding across the stage that became the hallmark of the ensemble, which got its name from its debut dance.
"Birch" is one of the symbols of Russia and its culture
The name turned out to be successful, it stuck. Indeed, the image of the Russian birch tree, this national symbol, was the best fit for the concept that N. Nadezhdina chose for her team. Later she formulated it as follows: “At the center of any of our work, be it a lyrical round dance or a merry dance, is the poetic image of a Russian girl … We want to reflect the purity and grandeur of Russian folk art as vividly as possible. This is a source of inspiration for our ensemble."
Until 1959, "Berezka" was an exclusively female group, and each of its numbers really revealed, it seemed, the very essence of the Russian female soul. Such numbers as "Swan", "Spinning", "Chain", "Sudarushka" are known. These dances were staged by N. Nadezhdina.
Since 1979, M. Koltsova, a former participant, has become the head of Berezka. She continued and carefully preserved the traditions of the collective.
Girls in richly decorated Russian sundresses and kokoshniks continue to delight the audience with their art even now. The ensemble includes only professional dancers, dancers of classical ballet. The ensemble is actively touring. Russian beauties, floating across the stage like swans, slender and flexible like birches, were applauded in 80 countries of the world. And, of course, this collective can rightfully be considered one of the pearls of Russian culture, along with ballet or classical literature.
