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Arts & Entertainment

Barynya

Music Without Borders

Established in 1991, Barynya is considered the premier Russian folk ensemble outside of Russia. It presents Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Russian Jewish, and Roma Gypsy traditional dancing, music, songs, and virtuoso performances on instruments including the balalaika, domra and garmoshka (Russian folk button accordion). Barynya has performed at such top venues as Carnegie Hall, the National Constitution Center (Philadelphia), the Smithsonian Institute (DC), the United Nations, and the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC. With an impressive client roster of dignitaries, politicians, celebrities and organizations from around the world, Barynya performed at the 2008 Gala after former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev received the Liberty Medal from then-President George H.W. Bush and Barynya's members have performed at private celebrity parties, hosted by the likes of Barbara Walters, Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and Tommy Hilfiger. Most recently, in recognition of his work as founder/artistic director of Baryna, Mikhail Smirnov was invited to serve as a judge on NBC's hit dance show, Superstars of Dance. Participants in this international competition - hosted by Michael Flatley ("Lord of the Dance") and Susie Castillo, a former Miss USA - Barynya dancers were pictured on the TV GUIDE website during the competition in which they performed their acrobatic Cossack dance. For more information, visit www.barynya.com.

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