Information: Miroslav "Bata" Marčetić, teacher of Serbian dance.

Bata, a native of Pančevo, Serbia, was a leading performer, soloist, and choreographer with the Serbian National Folk Ensemble KOLO in Belgrade, Serbia, and Montenegro (former Yugoslavia) for seventeen years and is the recipient of several awards for his artistic work. He has attended almost all folk dance seminars held in former Yugoslavia and eventually, he became the instructor of several workshops held in former Yugoslavia, Japan, Israel, and currently in Canada and the United States. As a well-known choreographer, he was chosen by the Folk Dance Association of Serbia to be a judge at folklore competitions that were taking place in Serbia and Montenegro from 1980 to 1993.

Bata created a great number of choreographies which have won either first or second prizes in competitions, both in Former Yugoslavia and in Canada. Under his artistic direction, many ensembles have won artistic awards, such as: In Serbia: Ensemble of Dom Kulture Banatsko Novo Selo at Ruma Provincial Folk Dance Competition: 3rd place in 1977, 1975, 1985, 1987, 1983; 2nd place in 1989; and 1st place in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1991; In Canada: Hajduk Veljko Ensemble from Toronto: 2nd place at the Kiwanis Music Festival in 2001; and SCA Oplenac from Mississauga: 2nd place in 2002 and 1st place in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 at the Kiwanis Music Festival; 1st place in 2000 and 2004 at the CHIN Canada Day International Festival; and was awarded the Order of National Merit, 2nd degree in 2003 by Vojislav Kostunica, the former president of Serbia and Montenegro.

In Canada, Bata works in several dance associations and ensembles: Kralj Petar II from Winona since 1993, Serbian Club Kordun since 2004, and he worked in S.C.A. Oplenac in Mississauga from 1993 until 2004, and in Folk Dance Ensemble Hajduk Veljko from Toronto from 1999 until 2006. Due to his long-term, dedicated work in the Canadian Serbian community, on December 26th, 2005, Bata was awarded the Golden Plaque by the Cultural-Academic State Association of Serbia.

In 2004, Bata established his own school of dance, "Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing," which includes more than 300 dancers of all ages, and a folk band instructed and directed by Mica Petrović, a music coach par excellence, whose last forty years of his adult life have been dedicated to publicizing and promoting Serbian folk music. The Academy of Serbian Folk Dancing is the winner of the following artistic awards: at the Kiwanis Music Festival in both junior and senior categories – 1st place in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005; at the CHIN Picnic Canada Day Festival competition: in junior category – 1st place at in 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005: in senior category – 2nd place in 2008 and 1st place in 2006 and 2005.

Bata simultaneously works with the international folk dance community where he is teaching Serbian and East-European dances. These include the Ontario Folk Dance Association (2001, 2002 and 2005 in Waterloo and 2005 in Toronto), Hamilton International (1995, 1998, 2000 and 2005), and McMaster University (1995-1998), among others. His most recent workshops were held in Bridgton, Maine (2001, 2002 and 2004); Boston, Massachusetts (2002); San Antonio, Texas (2002, 2005 and 2008), Fairlee, Vermont (2002); Pocono Manor Resort, Pennsylvania (2003); Socorro, New Mexico (2003); and the Camp Crystal Lake, Florida (February 2006), Mainewoods, Fryeburg Maine, USA (2006), Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (November 2006), Ottawa, Ontario (February 2007), Atlanta, Georgia, USA (April 2007), and San Antonio, Texas (March 2008).

Bata has devoted his entire professional career to the preservation and perpetuation of folklore and dance. His contribution to the Canadian Serbian folklore community is immeasurable.