Slovakia is a picturesque land of rich plains and high mountains, lying directly in the heart of Europe. Owing to its geographic location and modest area it has always been in the crossroads of culture streams passing through the European continent. Folk songs, music, dance and national folk costumes are very diverse, different in every region, containing specific poetics and conspicuous temperament.
The Lúčnica art ensemble is a representative of this cultural heritage. With its activity, artistic craftsmanship and fantasy, inspired by folk tradition, it creates dance and music scenic images with professional art charge while at the same time maintaining the originality of own national culture.
During the ensemble's 65 years of history (first public appearances are dated as far as 1948) more than 2.500 young people, mostly university students, have become its members. Lúčnica with its top-class art, beauty, youth and hot temperament has dazzled audience both at home and abroad. It became a cultural ambassador of its own country, representing the Slovak Republic (and Czechoslovakia before 1993) in the most universal language, which does not need any translation, that is with its own national culture.
The Lúčnica art ensemble consists of three basic parts: 12-member orchestra, choir and dance ensemble which is managed since its beginning by the artistic director and choreographer prof. Štefan Nosáľ. This dance ensemble literally sparkles with choreographic ideas, marvellous technique and spontaneous expression of performers. Dancers interpret the technical pieces, comparable with top sport performances, with ease and great engagements and they perform dances full of dynamics and dreamy poetics, in colourful hand-made folk costumes from various regions.
The dance ensemble is accompanied by 12-member professional orchestra, composed of excellent musicians, as well as four-member singing group. The orchestra and the singing group, led by violin player Martin Sleziak, perform also in separate artistic programmes at festivals or on theatre or concert stages.
The Lúčnica choir presents itself with mature signing technique and voice cultures and its characterised by typical composition purity of diverse dramaturgy, distinctive musical insight and broad expression register. The choir's artistic director is the conductor Elena Matušová who brought this body to the international awareness as excellent performer of classical music and songs primarily inspired by Slovak folklore.
A dancing young Slovak couple dressed in a ceremonial folk costume from the Central Slovakia area of Podpoľanie represents a motif of the stamp. It is a hand-embroidered folk costume, made by a special technique, so-called “crooked needle”. The folk costumes come from the dance “Započinka”. The motif of a skirt constituting the imprint on FDC comes from the upper Liptov region. It is worn by dancers involved in an exceptionally inventive girl's dance, depicting spinning Važec women spinners.

Marián Turner