Tamburitzans celebrate music, dance

Friday, May 16, 2003 | 8:52 a.m.

Eastern European folk music and dance will color the stage tonight at the Nicholas Horn Theatre when the Duquesne University Tamburitzans perform.

Decked in colorful ethnic costumes that reflect the towns and cities of eastern and southeastern Europe, the Tamburitzans will sing in several languages and dialects while presenting European folk footwork.

The multicultural song and dance company is composed of national and international Duquesne college students who perform 80 concerts a year.

Performances are accompanied by the accordion, clarinet, violin and guitar, as well as traditional folk instruments that are "plucked, picked, bowed and hammered."

The steps and sounds celebrate the cultural heritage of countries such as Armenia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland and Russia.

Duquesne University is a Catholic university located in Pittsburgh. National and international students audition to become Tamburitzans and begin their intense training each season in July.

The group was established in 1937 and also oversees a cultural center consisting of more than 9,000 books and journals about the folk music and dances featured in its productions, as well as a collection of instruments and more than 8,000 costume pieces.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call (877) 826-6437 for more information.