Introducing Plesati Slovenian Dance Group.
Plesati is a Slovenian folk dance group based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is comprised of Canadian Slovenians aged 5 to 80+ who are interested in learning about Slovenian music and dance.
Very few of the participants have ever been involved in a Slovenian dance group, so this is a way to teach them about folk music and dance from different regions of Slovenia.
Although it is a multigenerational dance group open to dancers of any age, there is a special focus on the youth, with the majority of participants between the ages of 6 and 28.
In addition to dancers, Plesati is also a community of Canadians with Slovenian roots who are eager to re-discover and celebrate their Slovenian heritage. This group brings together both younger and older generations to collaborate, share cultural traditions, and bond through their love of folk dancing.
Welcome Plesati to the Canadian-Slovenians Have Talent Contest!
Introducing ADRIANNA ŠUŠTAR, co-founder and teacher of Plesati Slovenian Dance Group
Adrie Sustar comes from a family of active volunteers within the Slovenian community. Growing up, Adrie enjoyed many happy summers at Simon Gregorčič Club Park in New Market, Ontario, where her grandparents were long time members.
Adrie joined the Mladi Glas / Planika (MGP) dance group in Toronto at a very young age and danced with them for many years. Her father has been a Director at MGP, while her mother was on the governing council, her older sister a dance teacher, and her younger sister a dancer there as well.
For her exceptional participation in the Slovenian Community, Adrie was awarded scholarships from Krek Slovenian Credit Union and Slovenski Dom, which she used for her university studies in Ottawa. After graduation she found employment at the Embassy of Slovenia, as Secretary to the Ambassador.
Traditional Slovenian dance has been a huge part of Adrie's life and something that she had been missing dearly since she moved to Ottawa. Through her work at the Embassy she recognized an untapped opportunity in the small community of Slovenians in Ottawa.
Together with Plesati co-founder Maria Colja, Adrie set about forming the dance group for children and grandchildren of Slovenian immigrants. The enthusiasm has been so positive that the dance group has accepted adult dancers as well.
In addition to her work in the Plesati dance group, Adrie was the main organizer of Slovenia Day in June 2017. This was the biggest gathering of Slovenians in Ottawa and was attended by Mr. Gorazd Zmavc, Minister for Slovenians Abroad.
In the same year, Adrie toured Slovenia with MGP and the popular ansambel Sašo Avsenik, as their official videographer. She is also working on producing a professional Slovenian dance DVD. Adrie continues to nurture her Slovenian heritage through Slovenian language studies.
Welcom Adrie to the Canadian-Slovenians Have Talent Contest!
Introducing MARIA COLJA, co-founder and teacher of Plesati Slovenian Dance Group.
Maria Colja moved to Ottawa in 2012 to start university and is now completing her Master’s degree in European, Russia and Eurasian Studies. Maria’s research focuses on the importance of mountains in the Slovenian national identity.
The Slovenian community has always been a very important part of Maria’s life. From a young age she was involved in the Slovenian community in Windsor. At the age of four she began dancing in Windsor’s Planika, a Slovenian folk dance group where she danced for 13 years. She is also a member of Zvon, the Slovenian cultural club in Windsor, Ontario. This cultural association is a very important part of Maria’s life and family as her grandfather was one of the founding members. Maria’s family has also been a member for many years at Slovenski Park, a Slovenian campground/organization near Guelph, Ontario.
When Maria moved to Ottawa there were relatively few opportunities to participate in the small Canadian Slovenia community there. She began to volunteer at events hosted by the Embassy of Slovenia. One such event was Slovenia Welcomes the World, which took place in June 2017.
Maria received a scholarship from Slovenia to attend the annual Slovenian language summer school held at the University of Ljubljana. She has travelled to Slovenia three times so far, not only for language courses but also to conduct interviews for her major research paper. Maria continues her Slovenian language studies via Skype lessons through the University of Ljubljana.
Together with her Plesati co-founder Adrie Sustar, Maria is very excited to teach Slovenian folk dance, which she hopes will contribute to an even more vibrant Slovenian community in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.
Welcome Maria to the Canadian-Slovenians Have Talent Contest!!