DANCE REVIEW : Folk Ballet of Yugoslavia at UC Irvine

If all had gone as planned, the Doina Romanian Folk Ballet would have danced Thursday at the Bren Events Center at UC Irvine. But that company was not permitted by the Romanian government to leave its homeland, according to Bren Center officials. So the National Folk Ballet of Yugoslavia was booked in its place.

No need to apologize.

The Yugoslavs brought an engaging, varied program that ranged from lighthearted social vignettes to works of genuine mythic depth and power, and they danced it with freshness, sweetness, eagerness and skill.

Branko Markovich, principal choreographer for the company, crafted a clever piece to introduce his brilliantly costumed company, and to assert--according to the printed program--the “unity and fraternity of all the Yugoslavian people.”

It also previewed, among its fluidly forming and dissolving circular patterns, many of the signature motifs to be seen later in individual regional dances.

Here were the upraised, goal-post arms in the Montenegrin dance; the women and men twirling together in the Dalmatian “Linjo”; the quick gliding, toe-slapping steps in the dances from Posavina; the high-held bent-leg kick that recurred frequently.

But in addition to the social and recreational pieces, two works stood out for historic resonance.

One was the noble, heroic Montenegrin dance, in which the men thrust their arms in battle poses (to “Sacre”-like rhythms) or practiced knife fights while the women applauded encouragingly, hands above their heads.

But the real knock-out was a line dance for men from Macedonia. Here, the dancers revealed a dignity, seriousness, weight and power that showed us that folk traditions remain viable not because they entertain tourists, foreigners or even a country’s own people, but because they connect to deep needs and memories that transcend individual cultures.

Throughout, the dancers were accompanied by a nine-member band that played with virtuosity and appealing gentleness.

Additionally, Slavko Antovich proved a powerhouse drummer, threading himself among the dancers. Tanya Obrenovich was the throaty soloist in Gypsy songs.

The company will appear tonight at Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena.