St. Michael's Day In Stelpe School

St. Michael's Day in Stelpe with jolly games, riddles, exhibition-market of vegetables and fruit.

Sports Festival Stelpe - 2011

This celebrated bear was in Stelpe on the Sports Festival day. He mainly organized games and activities for the smaller children. His presence colored the day all over the site.Through some magic, some of the children turned into animals. Dāgs Neliuss enjoys his new appearance.
Carrot throwing. Krista Maksimoviča in action.
Dry fishing
Car race
The Flower Girl and Rabbits playing with the children


Blindfold caterpillar picking
The Flower Girl
Sandra Neliusa (left), the coordinator of the festival, talking to one of the most active stelpians Kristīne Rulle
Dancing with Winnie-The-Pooh, Flower Girl (behind scene), and the Rabbits
Maze orienteering. Karīna Balode picking a task.
The Train game with the Flower Girl and rabbit assistants.
Pole walk.
Tigers - Kārlis Elmers Apsītis (left) and Dāgs Neliuss.
Inflatable castle next to Stelpe School.
Awarding ceremony. Sandra Neliusa and Zane Pelūde decorate a prize winner team with medals.
Stelpe farmer Jānis Klāviņš gave a ride in his horse cart to everyone but especially to the little ones.
Portrait - The Flower Girl. She organized continuous activities for the youngest participants of the festival for more than three hours without a break!!!

Midnight Soup

On August 28, there was a night orienteering competition for young people, under the framework of the European Community project Connect - 2011.

It had been decided that all the participants would be given warm food - a bean soup.

When it was bedtime for everyone else, the two generous and hard working ladies Virgīnija Volodka (left) and Vera Meduņecka came to the competition site to cook the soup. They used also their own products.

Thank you to Virgīnija and Vera for this fantastic support.

Stelpe Theater And Dancers Perform In Iecava

On August 26, Stelpe amateur theater together with the dancers from the traditional dance club performed in Iecava. A word had spread about the lively humorous staging, and the enthusiasm of the actors so they got invited by Iecava Culture House.

Spectators in Iecava



From left: Gypsy man - Jānis Klāviņš, Baron - Valdis Rusiņš (guest actor from Bārbele), Servant - Agnis Švarcbahs
Baron - Valdis Rusiņš, Baroness - Agita Šķiliņa
Baroness - Agita Šķiliņa, Gypsy woman - Dagmāra Venclova
From left: Zane Pelūde, Inga Polika, Terēze Neliusa, Lauma Karpinska, Sarmīte Jukone, Kristīne Rulle

Vocal group "Zeltenes" (The Mighty Girls) under the leadership of Kristīne Rulle is an integral part of the theater.

Dancers

International Music Day 2011

The rain stopped completely today. We could have our long waited for international day of music together with friends from England and Norway outdoors on our new nice open air stage.

See some speedily published photos here. Author for all of them - Terēze Neliusa

Con Brio choir and the Westwood String Quarted conducted by choir's leader Shirley Smith

The Westwood String Quartet has expanded by one for the Latvia tour
Kokle quartet from Riga
"Vēja meitenes" (The Wind Girls) from the neighboring Misa
Senior citizens' choir led by Māra Lagzdiņa
Hanne Marie Ruud (Norway) sang Solveig's Song and a song-prayer in Latvian
Spectators - participants
Youth dance group from the neighboring Barbele "Rakari" (The Rascals)
A few of the "Rascals"

The final event - Skaistkalne Brass Orchestra under the leadership of Jānis Kalniņš
Gladioli exhibition set up by our famous selectionists Ilga and Visvaldis Viņķelis

Festival Ligo (Līgo vakars) in Stelpe

Festival Ligo (Līgo vakars) and the following St. John's Day (Jāņi) is a national holiday and widely celebrated event all over Latvia. Traditionally, it is a coming together some place where there is a man by name Jānis. Everyone greets Jānis with oak leave crowns. A popular combination traditionally is cheese and beer, but nowadays, unfortunately, a lot of all kind alcohol is being consumed, too.

The important woman of the festival is Līga. Līga gets crowns made of all kinds of field flowers and plants.

If there is no Jānis or Līga available, it does not stop the party. If someone is a son or daughter of Jānis or Līga, or any other type of relation, then it is as good. But even if there is nobody even close, the party still goes on. Then the reason for the celebration just gets generalized.

This year, an extensive celebration of Ligo was organized in the new open air stage in Stelpe. There was a concert not only by Stelpe own amateur singers, dancers and actors but also performances and attractions by creative people from the neighboring communities Vecsaule, Barbele, Kurmene.

Here you can watch a very short video from the theater performed by Stelpe troupe where a gypsy woman played by the head teacher of Stelpe School Dagmāra Venclova gives a good splash to her mischievous man played by Jānis Klāviņš.



Stelpe people gathered on the open air stage site to celebrate Ligo:


Guests from a neighboring community:Young people enjoy themselves:

Young children can see the scene best from the basement walls of the old culture house:Scene from theater: (from left) Servant - Sarmīte Jukone, Baroness - Agita Šķiliņa
Scene from theater: (from left) Gypsy man - Jānis Klāviņš, Baron - Valdis Rusiņš, Servant - Agnis Švarcbahs
Stage manager Lilita Berliņa says thank you to the troupe for the enthusiastic performance