Working in the new postcovid reality

Working in the new post-covid reality

Bulgaria

Nuray Tusuf

works as a German language teacher in a vocational high school for tourism, Momchilgrad. She is the head of the folk group “Rhodop Esintilieri” at the Association for Turkish Culture, Art and Interaction and at the same time she is the chairman of the Association. She has worked as a choreographer voluntarily for 15 years and teaches children and young people not only to dance, but also to love folklore, the richness of traditions in all their variety and diversity

What made you become an instructor?

Ever since I was little, I was passionate about dancing and folklore. My mother loved to dance, my uncle played a saz (traditional Turkish string instrument) and sang very often, and my grandfather listened to the famous singer Kadriye Lyatifova / the nightingale of the Rhodopes – that’s what the performer was called at the time on the Turkish radio and talked about the richness of folklore. In my family, songs were listened to and dances were danced from both ethnic groups – Bulgarian and Turkish. Folklore is what has preserved its identity over the years, and by dancing this wealth is spread and passed down through the generations. What I learned from my family I wanted to pass on to the younger generation.

What do you cherish the most in your work?

Dance unites and helps to make friends, and folk dance brings us back to the past and makes us proud of what we have.

Young people need to dance, be physically active, have goals to pursue and problems to overcome. I teach young people not to bend in the face of difficulties, I teach them to develop qualities that will serve them in life at a later stage. Our respect and love for culture, folklore and dance attracts and brings us together, helps us feel like a small family.

What do you see as the most challenging in your work?

The stage fever before every performance, the amazing experiences, the smiling faces of the children and youth after every performance, the thunderous applause of the audience, the unforgettable memories, the pleasure and the pride are the biggest challenges that a leader can have.

What would you like to share with instructors from all over the world? (a piece of advice, request, tip, words of encouragement, etc.)?

One should give to others what one knows how.

Greece

Mariana Mouratidou

is a volunteer in non-formal group 4Youth. She’s an ΙΤ teacher, specialized in special education and has a master’s degree in adult education and lifelong learning. At the time, she works in a center for children aged 5-12 teaching robotics. She is a member of 4Youth since 2017. She plays the daouli, which is a traditional instrument of Pontiac music and she’s a dancer. Regarding the team, she’s a trainer in the field of technology and she works with the youths, mainly in matters related to culture.

What made you become an instructor?

Since I was a little girl, I was a member of a folklore group. Now I am an IT teacher. I have always loved working with children and young people, so when I was given the opportunity to volunteer my services to the team, I did it without second thoughts.

What do you see as the most challenging in your work?

Working with kids and young people can be rewarding and fulfilling, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. It requires adaptability, patience, creativity and a genuine interest in their well-being and development. Overcoming these challenges involves employing effective teaching strategies, fostering a positive and inclusive environment and recognizing the unique needs and characteristics of each student.

What kind of youth work opportunities do you see appearing in the professional or semi-professional folklore groups?

In the realm of professional or semi-professional folklore groups, there are several youth work opportunities that can arise. Folklore groups often provide training and mentorship programs for young people who are interested in learning traditional music, dance or storytelling. These programs can offer structured learning experiences, workshops and coaching sessions to help youth develop their skills and understanding of their cultural heritage. Performances in festivals can help them to showcase their talents, gain valuable stage experience and contribute to the preservation and promotion of their cultural traditions. Especially, participating in Erasmus+ exchanges give them the opportunity to learn about other cultural traditions, share their own heritage and build connections with young people from diverse backgrounds. Also, it offers avenues for personal growth and skill development.

Did you continue working with your group during the pandemic, and if yes, how and in which way? How did you overcome limitations regarding the number of people gathering and the risk of infection?

Unfortunately, during the pandemic, gatherings were prohibited so we couldn’t work with the team. What we did, however, was online meetings, as it was a very difficult period for everyone. We discussed various issues that concerned us at that time.

What changes do you observe in your group and/or your work comparing pre- and post-pandemic time?

The pandemic had a significant impact on community. In the beginning everyone was hesitant and afraid to come to the gatherings. Staying at home and not socializing brought several problems to the surface. For example, in youth exchanges, members of our group asked to be together and not with others, because they were afraid of Covid. Now, two years after the pandemic, I think that things are getting back to normal.

What would you like to share with instructors from all over the world?

We can be a role model for our students. Demonstrate integrity, professionalism and a love for learning. Show enthusiasm, passion and a commitment to excellence in your work. We can inspire our students to become lifelong learners and positive contributors to society. We have a unique opportunity to make a profound impact on their lives.

Hungary

Eszter Stumpf

is 30 years old and is working at “Veled az ifjúságért” Cultural and Traditional Association as a volunteer, she’s s project coordinator. She works in this association 5 years ago.

What made you become an instructor?

I would like to help for a youth to develop and achieve their own goals.

What do you cherish the most in your work?

I can build up relationship with other people and they give me their trust.

What do you see as the most challenging in your work?

Each young person has unique needs and abilities, and we need to find the right methods and tools to support each of them. Another challenge is often the lack of resources, which can limit the effectiveness of teaching. It can also be a challenge to keep up to date in the field and to keep abreast of changes.

What kind of youth work opportunities do you see appearing in the professional or semi-professional folklore groups?

There are many opportunities for young people. For example, they can learn traditional dances and music, learn folk craft techniques or even participate in the preservation of folk culture and traditions. In such groups, young people can take part in creating choreographies, performances, festivals or even become involved as instructors. These opportunities can help young people to learn about and assimilate the values of popular culture, and at the same time contribute to the preservation and perpetuation of traditions.

In the beginning, it was not possible to organise community programmes because of the epidemiological measures, so we held many programmes online or in the open air. We wore a masks, washed hands and applied hygiene measures, and limited the number of people in the group if it was necessary.

What changes do you observe in your group and/or your work comparing pre and post-pandemic time?

Some young people may have become less active or their participation may have dropped due to restrictions and distancing. There may also be changes at work, such as a shift in methods and tools to online or hybrid forms. They need to be flexible and adaptable and find new ways of responding to challenges.

What would you like to share with instructors from all over the world? (a piece of advice, request, tip, words of encouragement, etc.)

Instructors around the world are doing valuable and important work. My advice would be to remain open and embrace change. The educational environment is constantly evolving and new opportunities and challenges are emerging.

Romania

Simona Leasa

is the co-founder and instructor of Doinita Dance Studio, together with her sister, Cristina Leasa. The group was founded in 2008, with just 9 persons as starting dance group. Since then, many generations of youth developed their dance skills and personality in Doinita Folk Ensemble. Simona is a dance instructor for 15 years, doing it as a hobby and a passion. While having a full time job in IT, the folk dance activity mostly take part in the evenings and weekends. Simona is currently coordinating half of the group rehearsals, as well as organizing events, international folklore festivals, and Erasmus+ activity. The group has been signing partnerships in Erasmus+ since 2015, in every folk/art/culture project that request it and owns two approved projects (youth exchanges) in 2021 and 2022.

What made you become an instructor?

I’ve been practicing folk dance since I was 4 years old at the Romanian Palace of Children in Bucharest. Folk dance has been a strong passion ever since and, while growing up, I started showing steps to other children arounf me and became interested into having my own group. In 2008 my father created Doinita Folk Ensemble at the Students’ House of Culture from Bucharest and my dream of being a dance instructor came true.

What do you cherish the most in your work?

Seeing youth developing themselves under my watch, both as dancers and as persons with higher self-esteem, courage to speak up and power express themselves.

What do you see as the most challenging in your work?

Working with people is both sattisfiyng and difficult at the same time. Every person has a different learning plan, reacts better to different contexts: some learn alone, others learn in a team. Some learn when receiving encouragement, others get motivated by competitive tasks. It takes an iron hand in a velvet glove to coordinate a large group of beautiful diverse people and it’s not easy, but it fulfils your heart.

What kind of youth work opportunities do you see appearing in the professional or semi-professional folklore groups?

The Erasmus+ programme offers many opportunities that can be accessed by folk group, such as youth exchanges for members, training courses for the instructors or staff, team opportunities through the sport branch or even the sport staff mobility for dance trainers.

Besides Erasmus+, there are folklore festivals that groups can participate in, there are traditional dance contests and national opportunities, such as those financed by the Ministry of Culture.

We took a one year break. For us, it wasn’t an option to dance with masks, because at such a great effort amount, the feeling was of lack of air. Also, we could not keep the distance, since our choreographies involve holding hands or dancing in pairs. When we came back from the break, we started dancing in a much bigger hall (in the concert hall) and we would write our names on a list every week, so, in case someone got Covid all the others could test themselves.

What changes do you observe in your group and/or your work comparing pre and post-pandemic time?

After the break it seemed that people had difficulties in socializing with each other.

What would you like to share with instructors from all over the world? (a piece of advice, request, tip, words of encouragement, etc.)

The most important thing in a group is the vibe and the friendships. This is what makes people stay in a folk group for a prolonged period of time. Always make sure that the vibe is nice and people are feeling good!