Folklore group Dyleň, Karlovy Vary celebrates sixty-fice years of continuous existence this year. Group was founded In 1957 in Karlovy Vary by husbands Miroslav and Aleša Baloun. They came as teachers into displaced borderland in 1945 and began to systematically collect and study local songs, dances and folk costumes. Mrs. Aleša has produced a number of professional publications, which remain the main source of inspiration for the work of many folklore groups in our Karlovy Vary region.
However, when searching for the initial start of the group we must look back to the past a bit more before the year 1957. In 1954 teacher of music and mathematics Miroslav Baloun founded choir at the primary school of Jan Amos Comenius (one that does not exist nowadays because on its place was built hotel Thermal). After time had his wife Aleša a thought to revive children’s singing also by dancing. And in 1957 began Carlsbad Children’s Choir group and dance group act together. Children gradually grew and Children’s dance club naturally became an adult group in 1963, performing until year 1974 under the name “Youth”. Since its founding rehearsed the group set of dances from different regions of the former Czechoslovakia and these dances showed mainly to foreign visitors of Karlovy Vary. In 1974 the group was renamed to “Dyleň” according the nearby mountain Dyleň placed in Czech forest, which lies on the Czech-German border, and under this name works the group until today.
By the time has changed group name, group founders or social regimes, but has not change members. Today’s most senior dancers passed through first dance group, also group named “Youth” and are still happily dancing in the group Dyleň. They spent with the group an incredible number of years. Most deserving member of the group, Ivanka Holubová already spent in the group more than 60 years!
The release of politic conditions after 1989 brought many positive changes in activities of group Dyleň. The group was never spoiled and pampered by anyone, group worked at the periphery of attention and had harvested always only that, what had been sown. Soon after the revolution became an independent civic association. While many of the meantime renowned groups cried over break up of its rich founders, group Dyleň, dependent always only on himself, began to flourish. Dyleň focused on the interpretation of folklore material from Karlovy Vary and their wider surroundings, foothills of Krušné hory and area along the river Ohře, therefore the most western part of Bohemia. The group is trying to revive the tradition of the region, where for centuries side by side lived Czechs and Germans together. Songs and Dances of Czech-German border laid long neglected in hymnbooks and manuscript collections. For many decades, it was not politically desirable to present Czech music with German influences. Today they seem to be interesting and catchable melodies and increase the interest of students and professionals.
Currently Dyleň has more than 113 members, ranging from small tiny children called “Pigeons”, over a little more higher children called “Fleas”, than Children’s folklore ensemble Dyleň (co-founder of children groups is Children and Youth House Karlovy Vary – Čankovská) and also two adults groups and one folklore music group. First adult group consists of several younger dance pairs called “Deers” who are high school or college students and recently new workers, mostly former dancers of child’s group and second group of seven pairs of senior dancers. Few adults can be proud, that they dance on stage at the same time as their parents or other way round as their children. All performers are dancing and singing in the renovated Carlsbad costumes.
Every year children and adult groups participate on many famous folk festivals and parades across our country and bring number of awards. For example, in Strážnice, the most famous festival in this country, where each group eager to get to, Dyleň participated there already seven times and was awarded the title of Laureate of International Folklore Festival in Strážnice (1988), which is the highest title, what can be achieve for folklore ensemble in our country. Children’s folklore ensemble Dyleň is permanently one of the best children’s groups in the country, which is confirmed regularly at national shows.
Dyleň likely and proudly represents and promotes its beautiful city Karlovy Vary and with pride it also shows to participants of Karlovy Vary Folklore Festival, which is organized by Dyleň since 1996. Over the past years of the festival where invited to Karlovy Vary for playing, singing, amusing and dancing more than 7000 participants not only from Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, but also groups from 30 countries and 5 different continents! All without exception are thrilled by the beauty of Carlsbad and many are as tourists returning. Since 1989, the ensemble Dyleň performed in total of 20 European countries in Mexico, Malaysia, Israel and we are preapring for trip to Cape Verde islands. Folklore Dyleň is often heared in the Czech Radio, published several times CD’s and was also recorded within German television. Group also likes to attend events in the partner towns of Karlovy Vary.
However no success is for free. For everything you need to substitute plenty of hours of creative and organizational work training and sometimes even drudgery. For the training each member must sacrifice two evenings a week, for festivals several weekends and for foreign travel also many vacation days. But we, people creating Dyleň, like, what we do, otherwise we would not be exist for those long decades!
More information about activities and performances of group you will find within pages SPaT Dyleň, Karlovy Vary.
