Gabija Petrauskienė
The 9th Lithuanian Song Festival will be held this summer in Toronto, Ontario, during the July 1-4 weekend. It will draw nearly 1,000 singers from across North America, as well as guest choirs and singers from Lithuania and other countries in Europe, Australia, etc. What will make this a memorable event, in addition to the singing, will be the visual images that will be created by the Festival’s Chief Set Designer – Jurgis Sederavičius and his assistants – his twin daughters Audra and Ilyssa Sederavičius. Two generations in the Sederavičius family will express their creative talents and provide the visual memories of the 9th Lithuanian Song Festival. Let us “meet” Ilyssa and Audra as they share their thoughts about engaging in this important cultural venture.
Where you were born and raised? Tell us about your education and work achievements.
Ilyssa: We were born and raised in Toronto. Both of us attended the Etobicoke School of the Arts, where we explored a brief interest in stage design, and then continued in visual arts at York University. Although we have spent many years studying the arts, both of us have found careers in different fields and art has become a hobby. Following my Honours Bachelor degree in Art, coupled with Kinesiology, I attended teachers’ college and now work in the public school system. We have both been involved with gymnastics since we were 3 years old. We are no longer competitive athletes but are still very involved with the gymnastics community as coaches with our gymnastics club. It is rewarding to be working with children and sharing the sport that we love so much.
Audra: Since graduating with an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from York University, we have both found careers outside the artistic realm. I currently work in sports administration for Gymnastics Ontario, the provincial sport organization.
Our involvement in gymnastics has been significant in both of our lives, first as athletes and now, for me, as a competitive coach. I am also a judge at Provincial competitions.
How have you been involved in your Lithuanian heritage and community? What has this meant to you? What draws you to it?
Audra: We have been involved in the Lithuanian community since we were young children – since the age of 7. We attended Maironio Mokykla; however, it was our involvement with Skautai at Romuva and with the folk dance group Gintaras that really allowed us to experience our heritage and feel part of the Lithuanian community. One of the most memorable aspects of Maironio Mokykla was the Kalėdų Eglutė performances and watching our Dad design and build the stage sets. We later helped design these sets. Our most significant and longest involvement in the Lithuanian community was with Gintaras. It allowed us to connect with our peers and the cultural and social events the community offered. This included memorable trips to other communities and to Lithuania.
Ilyssa: I remember feeling that we never fully fit in, but attending Maironio Moklyka, becoming Skautės and dancing with Gintaras became a big part of our lives. We have very fond memories of Romuva and many Gintaras trips. Being involved in these has made me feel more Lithuanian and closer to my Dad’s side of the family and my Lithuanian heritage. I am very thankful for that. In Saturday school I remember participating in many holiday performances. Not only was it was fun being involved in the performance, but I also remember being awestruck by the stage sets my Dad created.
How do you reconcile both your English and your Lithuanian heritage? Does one tend to dominate the other? Is this a struggle for you, or a non-issue? Why?
Ilyssa: I’d have to say that my English heritage is more dominant. I feel that we have different circles in our lives that don’t necessarily overlap, and our Lithuanian heritage is one of them. As kids I think being a part of Skautai and Gintaras helped us become a part of the community. However, I have never felt that it was as integral a part of our lives as it seems to be for those who have extended family as well as deeper roots in the Lithuanian community in Toronto. We mostly speak English at home, although we do our best to speak Lithuanian as well.
Audra: Our English heritage is more dominant. We wish we were more fluent in Lithuanian; however, we do not really see it as an issue. For me “being Lithuanian“ is family-oriented. Our last name (and my first name) have an obvious correlation to my Lithuanian roots and serve as an enduring symbol of my Lithuanian heritage. It often comes up in conversation with non-Lithuanians when they ask about my background.
Although Lithuanian activities are not a primary influence, they are still an important part of our lives and I feel it is important to continue being involved with our Lithuanian side.
Have you been to Lithuania? What has seeing it “live” meant to you?
Audra: Yes, we have been to Lithuania three times. The first was with our Dad, to meet our relatives; the second, with Gintaras for the Šokių Šventė and, most recently, we attended the 1000-year festivities in Lithuania with family and friends. It was nice to be able to share the experience with our Canadian friends. I also have great memories of participating in the Šokių Šventė.
Ilyssa: Dad took us to Lithuania the first time as a graduation gift. Our three visits have never been for an extended amount of time. I feel that, if we had the time, there is a lot more to see and experience there. However, being there “live” has helped us feel closer to our extended family, which is important to us and to our Dad.
What is your involvement with the upcoming Song Festival in Toronto? What will your personal contribution be to this extra-ordinary event? What is your vision for what you will be creating?
Ilyssa: We are helping our Dad, who has taken on a huge job. He is the stage set designer for the Festival. As many know, our Dad was the set designer for the school productions during all of our years at Maironio Mokykla in Toronto. We were always very proud of this. During high school I designed a few stage sets and since then our Dad has always bounced his ideas off of us. We are mainly there to support our Dad and contribute feedback and ideas. He seems to value our opinion highly so, I guess you could say it’s a family effort; however, we are missing one family member. Our younger sister Lina is at Leeds University working on her Master’s degree and is unfortunately unable to help out, although I know she would love to be part of this event. It is nice to be involved in the Lithuanian community again and I am excited to see how everything turns out.
Audra: Our Dad is the architect and stage designer for the Song Festival. We are assisting him with the creative process and set construction as well as the staging and visual effects. We are working to interpret and produce Laimutės Kisielienės concept for this Šventė in hopes of offering an interdisciplinary performance that reflects the Lithuanian identity we all share and also incorporates the Canadian-Lithuanian identity.
Do you think it important to continue having these types of events outside of Lithuania? Or is it more important to participate only in the events held in Lithuania?
Audra: It is important to have both. It is important to celebrate our Lithuanian identities through these events, both inside and outside of Lithuania. I think it is important to share the experiences these venues provide and to combine the traditional with the new.
Ilyssa: I think it’s great to continue having these events. This past summer, the 1000th Anniversary celebrations in Lithuania were exceptional. For the first time, instead of participating as dancers, we got to be spectators at such a huge event. It made me miss the dancing, but it was also a great experience to see such an event as a member of the audience. Whether in Lithuania or outside of it, I feel these events keep the culture alive and the community close. This is a great way to celebrate our heritage.
Many thanks to you both for this conversation. We wish you luck, that you will be proud of your creation, and that it will reflect both your Lithuanian and Canadian heritage. We hope that this experience will inspire you to continue contributing to the Lithuanian community through your creative efforts in the future.
