| MIROSLAV BATA MARCETIC
Miroslav Bata Marcetic was a leading performer,
soloist and choreographer, with the Serbian National Folk Ensemble
“Kolo” in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro (former Yugoslavia) for
seventeen years and is the recipient of several awards for his artistic
work. He has attended almost all folk dance seminars held in former
Yugoslavia and eventually, he became the instructor of several workshops
held in former Yugoslavia, Japan, Israel and currently in Canada
and the USA. As a well-known choreographer, he was chosen by the
Folk Dance Association of Serbia to be a judge at folklore competitions
that were taking place in Serbia and Montenegro from 1980 to 1993.
Miroslav created a great number of choreographies
which have won either first or second prizes in competitions, both
in Former Yugoslavia and in Canada. Under his artistic direction,
many ensembles have won artistic awards, such as: In Serbia: Ensemble
of “Dom Kulture Banatsko Novo Selo” at Ruma Provincial Folk Dance
Competition: 3rd place in 1977, 1975, 1985, 1987, 1983; 2nd place
in 1989; and 1st place in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986 and
1991; In Canada: “Hajduk Veljko” Ensemble from Toronto: 2nd place
at the Kiwanis Music Festival in 2001; and SCA “Oplenac” from Mississauga:
2nd place in 2002 and 1st place in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 at
the Kiwanis Music Festival; 1st place in 2000 and 2004 at the CHIN
Canada Day International Festival, and was awarded the Order of
National Merit, 2nd degree in 2003 by V.Kostunica, the former president
of Serbia & Montenegro.
In Canada, Miroslav works in several dance associations
and ensembles: Kralj Petar II from Winona since 1993, , Serbian
Club “Kordun” since 2004 and he worked in S.C.A. “Oplenac” in Mississauga
from 1993 until 2004 and in Folk Dance Ensemble “Hajduk Veljko”
from Toronto from 1999 until 2006. Due to his long-term, dedicated
and victorious work in the Canadian Serbian community, on December
26th 2005 Miroslav was awarded the Golden Plaque by the Cultural-Academic
State Association of Serbia.
In 2004, Miroslav established his own school of
dance, “Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing” which includes more than
300 dancers of all ages, and a folk band instructed and directed
by Mica Petrovic, a music coach par excellence, whose last forty
years of his adult life have been dedicated to publicizing and promoting
Serbian folk music. The Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing is the winner
of the following artistic awards:
at the Kiwanis Music Festival in both junior and senior categories
- 1st place in 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
at the CHIN Picnic Canada Day Festival competition: in junior category
- 2nd place in 2009 and 1st place at in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005:
in senior category - 2nd place in 2009 & 2008 and 1st place
in 2006 & 2005.
Miroslav simultaneously works with the international
folk dance community where he is teaching Serbian and East-European
dances. These include the Ontario Folk Dance Association (2001,
2002 & 2005 in Waterloo and 2005 in Toronto), Hamilton International
(1995, 1998, 2000 & 2005), McMaster University (1995 - 1998)
among others. His most recent workshops were held in Bridgton, Maine
(2001, 2002, and 2004); Boston, Massachusetts (2002); San Antonio,
Texas (2002, 2005 and 2008), Fairlee, Vermont (2002); Pocono Manor
Resort, Pennsylvania (2003); Socorro, New Mexico (2003); and the
Camp Crystal Lake, Florida (February 2006), Mainewoods, Fryeburg
Maine, USA (2006), Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (November 2006), Ottawa,
Ontario (February 2007), Atlanta, Georgia, USA (April 2007), San
Antonio, TX (March 2008) and Hamilton Folk Dance Club, (25th Anniversary
Celebration), Hamilton, ON, Canada (January 2009).
Miroslav Bata Marcetic has devoted his entire
professional career to the preservation and perpetuation of folklore
and dance. His contribution to the Canadian Serbian folklore community
is immeasurable. |