Balada Romanian Folk-Dance Ensemble

The Balada Romanian Folk-Dance Ensemble is an enthusiastic group of individuals who devote their spare time to the practice and performance of Romanian folk dance. Balada was formed in 1973, under the auspices of the St. Constantine and Elena Church of Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) and since that time has developed a comprehensive repertoire of Romanian folk dance.
Balada strives to combine authenticity and audience appeal in its dances. This is due to the talents of many instructors and choreographers. The group has worked with many instructors in Canada and Romania including Petru Ilica, Maestro Petre Bodeuț, Maestro Viorel Vatamaniuc, Maestro Theodor Vasilescu, Mihai Vasile, Gheorghe Vaduva, Cristian Florescu and Sion Dion. Since 1984, Ann Smreciu has been Balada’s Artistic Director. Balada has had a wide variety of performing experiences. The group has performed extensively within Alberta at festivals, multicultural celebrations, and charitable events. The ensemble has participated at folk festivals across Canada, the United States and abroad.