Grachanitsa

Serbian Folk Dance and Song Ensemble

Grachanitsa, or Gračanica, is a dance ensemble based in Boston, Massachusetts dedicated to the performance of traditional folk dance and song from the Balkans. Taking its name from the famed monastery in Kosovo, Grachanitsa has performed across North America and Europe and helped bring Serbian folk dance to local communities across New England.

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1997

Under the auspices of the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church of Boston and the leadership of Mirjana Kondić, Mirjana Petrović, and Petar Petrov, a group of folk enthusiasts started exploring the rich heritage of folk dancing and music from different parts of the former Yugoslavia. The group names itself after the Grachanitsa monastery in Kosovo.

Nov. 1999

With the arrival of Dr. Djordje Koldzić, a dancer with almost three decades of experience in Yugoslavia, the current iteration of Grachanitsa is formed and begins to emulate some of the highest quality folklore ensembles in Serbia.

May 2002

In one of Grachanitsa's first large scale performances, the ensemble performs at MIT's Kresge Auditorium alongside invited groups SFE Kolo from Hamilton, Canada and Raskto of New York City.

Sept. 2005

Through the support of the MIT Organization of Serbian Students (MOST), Grachanitsa hosts SCA Oplenac of Toronto at the Kresge Auditorium for another unique presentation of Serbian folk music, dance and song in Boston.

Nov. 2006

In a celebration of Tesla Day, Grachanitsa is featured as a special guest performer at the Wentworth Institute of Technology.

May 2009

Grachanitsa begins to celebrate its Slava, in honor of its new patron saint St. Nikolaj of Žiča, Ohrid and Lelić.

July 2010

Grachanitsa flies cross-country to perform at the San Diego-based Morava Ensemble's Summer FolkFest.

Jan. 2013

Grachanitsa opens for the Tesla Science Foundation’s first annual Spirit Award Benefit Reception at Tesla's last residence, the New Yorker Hotel.

July 2014

For the first time in its history, Grachanitsa travels to perform in Serbia. During its ten day tour, the group performs in Surčin, Novi Beograd, Valjevo, and Čačak alongside local dance ensembles.

July 2014

While in Belgrade, Grachanitsa visits the "White Palace," Beli Dvor, to perform for the Serbian royal family, HRH Crown Prince Alexander and HRH Crown Princess Katherine.

May 2019

Grachanitsa celebrates its 20^th anniversary with a large end-of-season concert, inviting guests from across North America and bringing back its former dancers to perform.

Nov. 2019

At the invitation of the Bowdoin Russian Department, Grachanitsa travels to Maine to put on its first full-length solo concert: nearly 2 hours of Serbian folk dance and song.

Jan. 2023

Grachanitsa flies across the pond to perform in London, marking the group's first trip outside North America since 2014.

June 2023

Grachanitsa once again travels to tour the Balkans, performing in Surčin, Valjevo, and Trebinje and paying homage to the Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery along the way.

Today

Grachanitsa continues to spread Serbian culture and provide those in the Boston Serbian community a way to engage with and celebrate our culture. As Grachanitsa enjoys its 25^th season, and on the heels of a successful summer tour of Serbia and Republika Srpska, the ensemble has received numerous invitations to perform across the US and Europe and will be performing regularly both in New England and beyond.

To celebrate the past quarter century of Serbian folk dance and song in Boston, Grachanitsa will be holding a concert and dinner on May 18^th 2024, featuring guest ensembles from across the US and Canada. For more regarding Grachanitsa's upcoming programming in celebration of its 25^th anniversary, keep tabs on us on Instagram and Facebook or subscribe to our mailing list.

In the meantime, take a moment to meet the dancers that give life to Grachanitsa and learn about the choreographies that the ensemble works so diligently to perfect.

Meet the Ensemble

Discover the Dances