SBS spoke to Madlen Ishoeva, manager of ISHTAR dance group from Moscow, who won the competition for their professional, well-choreographed and well executed performance.
Mrs Ishoeva is a well know singer and has held concerts in Russia, USA, Australia and Europe. She helped organisers of the festival for the preparation of this festival that took over six months in preparation.
Mrs Ishoeva says, "this is the first time in more than thirty years, Assyrians in the former Soviet Union have ever experienced".
Ishtar dance group founder says there were five dance groups that participated in the festival.
There were two groups from Armenia from the villages of Devin-Artashat and from the village of Arzani. Both groups are called ATOUR.
From the Russian city of Rostov, the ASHOUR dance group was the highlight of the festival as it contained very gorgeous and beautiful young girls, they were nicknamed by the (the group of flowers).
In this festival, everyone is a winner as it gathers the spirit of the youth and children to be united as children of Assyria
Another group representing the village of Urmia-Krasnodar called URMIA, also participated.
There was a children group called NINEVEH performed as well. Finally, the ISHTAR group from Moscow. Six dance groups participated in this festival.
Mrs Ishoeva says “Moscow is too far from the rest of Assyrian communities living in the former Soviet Union republics. On the other hand, the city of Krasnodar has a very central geographic position. It is surrounded by Armenia, Rostov, Ukraine. Assyrian communities from around these cities every now and then gather in their hundreds if not thousands, when there are certain festivals”.
Mrs Ishoeva says” from my close look at the preparations of this production, I believe it cost almost hundred thousand Euro”. The preparation took six months and the main people who worked hard restlessly were Eduard Shilo and Alla Maragulova.
Finally, Mrs Ishoeva says, this festival is not about who will win the grand prize, everyone is a winner. The participation of so many youths, from different cities and villages and being together for three days, this by itself is a big prize to be won.
Many young groups will be inspired and encouraged to be more involved in the dance groups and the more established and almost professional dance groups will be considered by the children as their idols.
