Constructing Identities in a Women’s Balkan Folklore Ensemble

identity perspectives, and shows how performances of music and dance can play important roles in how individuals perceive themselves and others. The experiences of the performers in Sveti Ivan are discussed, with particular reference to the significance of singing, dancing, and costuming as they relate to perceptions of Balkan identities, as well as “outside ” identities. “The Canadian dream, ” “A musical melting pot. " These were the words used to introduce Sveti Ivan, Newfoundland’s first Balkan folksong and dance group in a piece by Katie Nicholson aired on CBC television’s provincial news broadcast, “Here and Now. ” Indeed, the seventeen women brought together in St. John’s by Balkan music were “from all walks of life, ” as Nicholson stated. The mix of cultural backgrounds included eleven Canadians, two Americans, and a Bulgarian, a Romanian, and an Argentinean. The program revealed how, after only eight weeks, a performance of Balkan music and dance brought a group of “random people ” together, giving them something more than just music. Folklore ensembles such as Sveti Ivan are growing in number and gaining mor