BBLA Newsletter JANUARY 2017 | Issue No. 49
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Dear Friends of BBLA,
Not only because it is kind of customary, but I really do want to wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year loaded with a whole lot of fun. Fun is the key. Nobody wishes for a boring year after all, so if you ever find yourself feeling that you might be missing some excitement, do not hesitate to check the calendar of
Bohemian National Hall and join in on the activities of BBLA, Czech Center and the MFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs]. We look forward to another season of fruitful cooperation with all of our partners.
Thank you for your patronage and see you very soon.
Yours,
Joseph Balaz, President
Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association
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 CHECK THIS OUT
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UNESCO ADDS SLOVAK AND CZECH PUPPETRY TO THE LIST OF INTANGIBLE HERITAGE
Puppet theater for communities in Slovakia and Czech Republic is not only a popular form of traditional entertainment but also a way of conveying a vision of the world, and an educational tool with messages on moral values. The puppets, whose characters are real or imaginary, are mostly made of wood and animated using various methods. Initial bearers of the practice were families of traveling puppeteers whose works later absorbed local influences in language and themes using namely comical figures with distinct characteristics. Puppet theater is an integral part of Slovak and Czech local theater and literary tradition.
"Why do we do it? We are fascinated by the subject. Czech and Slovak puppets are unique: they have a great history and unparalleled quality. Once they have cast their spell on you, you cannot give them up or escape them."
It also plays an important role in socialization, helping performers to develop as creative thinkers and learn about cooperation, communication and to strengthen their sense of identity in society. Featuring with other traditional rituals and festive events like feast days, markets and fairs, puppet shows today come in many different forms but still draw from tradition. Practice bearers include performers, playwrights, puppet and costume makers, as well as stage designers. Skills are transmitted by imitation and practice within performer communities, while in Slovakia also transmission takes place in traditional puppetry dynasties, as well as through workshops run by not-for-profit organizations and music and arts schools.
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THE VENUS OF DOLNI VESTONICE UNDERGOES SCANNING
[Cesky rozhlas]
The Venus of Dolni Vestonice, a ceramic sculpture of a female figure believed to be 29,000 years old and considered one of the oldest artifacts of its kind in the world, left its secret hiding place at the Moravian Museum to undergo a detailed scan under a special 3D microscope. Scientists hope that it will provide them with more information about how the statuette was made. The ceramic figurine was discovered in South Moravia in July 1925 by a team of scientists led by Karel Absolon. The statuette, broken in two pieces, was found amidst remnants of a prehistoric fire pit once used by mammoth hunters. What makes it so unique is the fact that it was made by burning the clay, a technology commonly used only in the Neolithic period. However, scientists are not sure to this day what exactly it is made of.
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BBLA RECOMMENDS IN JANUARY
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theater
Concept, Direction, Choreography, Set and Costume Design: Pavel Zustiak. A Bosch-like harrowing story of the wandering boy abandoned by his parents during World War II, The Painted Bird is a dark masterpiece that examines the proximity of terror and savagery to innocence and love. Its central scene-a man captures a bird and paints it brilliant colors then frees it to return to its flock, only to be violently killed by its own kind as a perceived interloper -anchors this poetic outcry on otherness, belonging and human nature.
venue: La Mama
(66 East 4th Street, btw Bowery & 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003)
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BBLA'S MEMBER
ORGANIZATIONS
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Association of Free Czechoslovak Sportsmen
Czech and Slovak Solidarity Council
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EXPLORE CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPEAN ART MAGAZINE
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Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association | 321 East 73rd Street, 3rd floor | New York, NY 10021
(212) 988-1733 | www.bohemianbenevolent.org | info@bohemianbenevolent.org
BBLA is a not-for-profit organization established in 1891 in
New York City
as an umbrella organization for almost eighty Czech and Slovak immigrant organizations. The mission of BBLA is to preserve and support Czech and Slovak culture in
New York City
. BBLA
'
s member organizations include American Fund for Czech and Slovak Leadership Studies, Association of Free Czechoslovak Sportsmen, Czech and Slovak Solidarity Council, Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences in
America
, Dvorak American Heritage Association and Sokol
New York
. BBLA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.
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