DIRECTORS
Artistic Director - Željko Jergan
Željko Jergan is a renowned choreographer and teacher throughout the world. Since moving to the United States in 1986, Željko has created over 350 original choreographies for 70 different amateur, semi-professional and professional ensembles, including Les Sortileges, Brigham Young University, Radost Folk Ensemble and the Duquesne University Tamburitzans.
When he's not researching and creating new choreographies, Željko stays extremely busy working with the international folk dance community, where he is in popular demand for his depth and style in teaching Croatian folk dancing. He has traveled extensively both domestically and abroad, including folk dance seminars and workshops in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Taiwan.
Željko has made a significant contribution to the Canadian Croatian folklore community, where he has been sought year after year to create original new choreographies for both the eastern and western Canadian Croatian Folklore Festivals. In addition to Jadran, he also serves as artistic director for "Kraljica Jelena Folklore Ensemble," Kitchener, Ontario, and "Croatian Village Folklore Ensemble," Hamilton, Ontario, where he continually strives to elevate the level of authenticity and presentation of those ensembles. He is also the artistic director for the folklore ensemble "Hrvatski Tanac" and "Kumovi Adult Ensemble," of Pittsburgh and the "St. Anthony's Folklore Ensemble" of Los Angeles.
A native of Varaždin, Croatia, Željko was a leading performer with the Croatian National Folk Ensemble "LADO" for twelve years. He also performed with the Zagreb National Ballet and Modern Dance Companies for several years. He is a graduate of the Varaždin School of Music, Cakovec School of Architecture, and worked under the tutelage of Milica Glavocic Pininsky, a consultant to the Zagreb Ethnographic Museum.
Željko has received two full fellowship grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts in support of his artistic work.
Choreographer - Beth Stafura
Beth Stafura is in her fourth year as a dance instructor and choreographer for Jadran. Beth graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies in 1998 from Duquesne University, where she performed as as a Tamburitzan. She continued her education to obtain a Master's Degree in Corporate Communications in 2000.
Beth has studied classically in tap, ballet, and jazz since age five, in addition to belonging to the Junior Tamburitzans of Duquesne and the North Hills Junior Tamburitzans. She has also been a member of the Bulgarian group, the Pittsburgh Slovakians, and currently dances under the direction of Željko Jergan in Folklore Ensemble Kumovi, where she also serves as an assistant director. She has been the choreographer for many ensembles including the Golden Triangle Jr. Tamburitzans and is currently instructing Trafford Jr. Tamburitzans, and also teaches character and folk daning at the Laurel Ballet Company in Greensburg. She has even had the privlage of being a dance instructor for the Duquesne University Tamburitzans.
Music Directors -
Don Knezovich
Adam Matas