Folk Dancing in Exile

The Lithuanian Displaced Persons who settled in the post-war camps brought their folk-dance traditions with them from the old country. Maintaining the custom of folk dancing was another way to preserve Lithuanian culture after the Soviet occupation of the nation had begun. Like scouting, folk dancing cemented the spiritual ties with the homeland.

Würzburg, Germany, January 2, 1946. Members of the folk dance group, "Sietynas" (for meaning, see here), gather before a New Year's performance. The mural on the right, behind the dancers, features a typical Lithuanian folk art motif, the stylized tulip.