On Thursday, September 27th, St George Serbian Orthodox Church hosted the renowned Talija Art Company at The Palace Theatre in downtown Canton.

The day began with the dancers and musicians arriving for a Slava meal hosted by Fr Aleksa Pavichevich, whose family keeps Sveta Petka as their heavenly intercessor. The guests were treated to a freshly roasted lamb by parishioner Doug Beccheruci, and a wonderful meal planned and organized by Jasminka Kraguljac.  The guests reveled in the delectable Serbian delights including sarma, krempita, and fresh baked bread.

Doors at the Palace opened at 6:00pm and the crowd began trickling in for the 7:00pm show.  The venue, The Canton Palace Theatre, is a recently renovated turn-of-the-20th-century theater.  The 200 guests in attendance enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere as they waited for the show to begin.

At 7:00pm, Fr Aleksa welcomed everyone to the show and introduced Talija. Additionally, he mentioned that the parish chose to host this performance at The Palace because they felt it was important to offer something of our cultural heritage to the community, and to support the vibrant arts scene in downtown.

The next hour-and-a-half was filled with beautifully choreographed dance and music. Acrobatic feats of dance from throughout Eastern Europe and the Balkans brought the audience to their feet numerous times.  Talija offered music and dance from a variety of cultures including Serbian, Bulgarian, Russian and Roma.

Following the performance, the professionals of Talija Art Company enjoyed the hospitality of many St George Parishioners for the evening.  It was truly a spectacular event!