The Doina Dance Group

Approximately 10 years ago, Mihaela Enache attended a multicultural show in Auckland and was captivated by Bulgarian folk dances. Shortly after, in 2013, the Doina Folk Dance Group was born.

Composed of a handful of Romanian women eager to preserve traditions from back home, the group met weekly for rehearsals, supported by the Doina Association. The "Doinițe" made it a tradition to participate in multicultural dance festivals, culminating in a trip to Melbourne in 2018. There, they were invited to perform in a show celebrating Romania's National Day. The performance was a huge success, and they promised to keep the tradition alive.

Over the years, the group has also participated in most fundraising events organized by the association. To this day, the Romanian women meet almost weekly at the Ponsonby Community Centre during school terms. The group mainly consists of mothers and daughters, and recently, with the support of the Doina Association, they were thrilled to receive brand-new traditional costumes from Romania.

Children eager to join can start at a minimum age of 5. Recently, two 7-year-old girls have joined the rehearsals with their mothers. The group is working on including at least one dance from each region of Romania.