<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" background="images/horiz-j-1.jpg" bgproperties="fixed">
<table width="760" border="0" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5" align=center>
<tr>
<td valign=tOP height="548">
<div align="center"><img src="images/sokiai-splash.jpg" height="476" width="700" alt="Lietuviu Tautiniu Sokiu Institutas - illustracija Rasa Matulaityte-Hendrickson" align=center>
<p align=right>
<a href="home.html" target="_self"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Lietuviškai
- in Lithuanian</b></font></a></p>
<span lang=LT style='font-family:"Verdana";
mso-ansi-language:LT'><font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana"> </font></SPAN><span lang=LT style='font-family:"Verdana";
mso-ansi-language:LT'><font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana"> </font></SPAN><span lang=LT style='font-family:"Verdana";
mso-ansi-language:LT'><font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana"> </font></SPAN><span lang=LT style='font-family:"Verdana";
mso-ansi-language:LT'><font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana"> </font></SPAN></div>
<span lang=LT style='font-family:"Verdana";
mso-ansi-language:LT'><font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana">
<p >The Lithuanian Folk Dance Institute - Lietuviu Tautiniu <span lang=LT style='font-family:"Verdana";
mso-ansi-language:LT'><font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana">Š</font></span>okiu Institutas,
abbreviated as<b> LTSI</b> - is an independent North American cultural
institution, whose mission is to study, foster, and support Lithuanian
folk dance. </p>
</font></SPAN><span lang=LT style='font-family:"Verdana";
mso-ansi-language:LT'><font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana"></font></SPAN></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=800 VALIGN=TOP><span lang=LT style='font-family:"Verdana";
mso-ansi-language:LT'> <font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana"> To fulfill its mission, the LTSI
:
<ol>
<li> collects material relating to folk dance</li>
<li> studies the collected material and prepares it for practical use</li>
<li> issues publications relating to folk dance</li>
<li> prepares descriptions of folk dances and games</li>
<li> maintains contact with folk dance groups and concerns itself with
their activities</li>
<li> holds courses for folk dance instructors</li>
<li> maintains relations with the folk dance institutions and organizations
of other nations</li>
<li> prepares the North American Folk Dance Festivals (Sokiu Sventes):</li>
<li> a) organizes the Folk Dance Festival artistic program </li>
<li>b) invites (selects) the artistic program's director </li>
<li>c) invites (selects) the Folk Dance Festival presenter (MC) </li>
<li>d) determines the Folk Dance Festival repertoire.<font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana"><BR>
</font></li>
</ol>
</font></span><font
style="COLOR: #000000; FONT: 11pt verdana">
<div align=center><img src="images/ltsi-ribbon-footer.gif" width=800 height=26 >
<div> </div>
</div>
</font></td>
</tr>
</table>
<BR><BR>
</body>