„Such a great feeling. I`m so proud of what I did,” LiepU dance crew „Banga” dancer Dace Liniņa-Zīverte is sharing her emotions, saying, how does it feel to wear daughters self made crown. It doesn`t matter that the fingers are cut, back hurts and there were sleepless nights – I`m realy happy what has been done. For some of the dancers the’’ hook is in the lip’’, and there are being made the next crowns.

We have said it previously that University of Liepaja, folk dance crew „Banga” girls, were dedicated to create their own luxurious ornament – crown. The challenge was big, if we consider, that it takes a lot of time to create the crowns. But our girls did the task succesfully and were a little faster as the goal was set.

„We didn`t know how the process is going to be. We started and we understood, that we have tollerance and inspiration” says the leader of „”Banga” Kristīne Kārkliņa, who made three crowns by herself and is working on the fourth. „It`s gonna be 16 crowns, just how we wanted. Four of them will be as reserve.” Kristina is smiling and saying, that we have to think about additional costume sewing, because there are only 13 costumes that are compatible with these crowns. „If the will be reason we will sew three costumes more.”

K.Kārkliņa says that she got passionated by making the crowns. „After I just came home from work I started to sew. I couldn`t go to sleep, and when I went to sleep I thought that the morning would come faster and I could continue,” she smiles about her new founded „Drug”. ‘’That`s an undescribable process. In the past I thought, that this isn`t something for me, but I`m a bit impressed about myself that I did it”.

Banger Karlīna Mikne, who`s hobby is to make crowns, was a supervisor for the crown creatin process, said, that the girls were faster than it was expected. „If You do it step by step, it is easy for everyone” observed Karlīna and was happy – it wasn`t like that, that you had to point the finger for each step. Dedicated craftsman were comuncating remotely – they were using Whastapp, where they asked and answered questions and were sent also pictures. „Every girl has now a thing to be proud of” Karlina is happy for what the girls did, and says that the girls are preparing with a different sense of emotions for the Latvia`s 100 anniversary.

„In our arsenal from the high crowns were only Bārta`s crowns, which can be weared only with Bārta`s regional costume. And the costume is good for realy special dances and festive events. By now dancing in Kuldīga`s, Nūrmuiža`s and Zemgale`s regional folk costumes, bangers were good with some simple low crowns” says K.Kārkliņa „But we have dances where we need to look festive. In those cases we lend the crowns from others”.

How much did it cost Karlina couldn`t say, because there were no calculations. „If we would order such a crown, it would cost around 100 Euros. Of course the costs for us were lower – we spent money only for the materials. The most expensive things were wool and the czech pearls” say`d Karlīna.

Premiere for the crowns were in 1.april in Valmiera, performing in concert „Good to dance with buddies”, but in Liepaja these crowns were presented in 22.april in Liepaja regional exposition.

„You go with proud lifted head, and everyone is watching at you, because the crown is new, pearls ar shining” says Dace Zīverte – Liniņa,

„and everyone is wondering that these are made by ourselves. And that`s ehy we are even more happy about that” Dace says, that in the begining she didn`t wanted to join the other girls, but by seeing how beatiful it can be made she decided to give it a try. „Yes, there were moments when I had to start over again, because I wanted it beautiful,” she is describing the process, but there weren`t a moment when I wanted to quit. „I got passionated” she says „In just a week the crownwas ready. In the evenings three, four hours. I enjoyed it.” Dace`s  grandmother had left for her inheritance – Vaiņode`s folk costume, and now she is starting to make Vaiņode`s crown. „There is peace in me, I want to continue,” she says with a smile on her face.

K.Kārkliņa is adding, the girls also made Zemgale`s crowns, which are necesarry for one dance and now the girls will start to make Kuldiga`s regional crowns, because in the crews costume stock are Kuldiga`s regional folk costumes. K.Kārkliņa says that it was a postitive experience to create these crowns and there will be a continuation.

„We won`t stop after this. There will be a continuation.

I believe that the girls feel the costumes now different, more personaly, individualy – there are closer bonds with the folk costume, by creating by own hands. And what`s important we got educated during this process’’.