site.bta Kitka Folklore Ensemble from London to Present Dobrudzha Dance in Munich

The Kitka folklore ensemble in London will perform a dance called Varnenska Zakachka (Varna Jest) at the 11th Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance travelling folklore festival, which will take place from May 15 to 17 at BMW Park in Munich, Germany.

"The dance is from the Dobrudzha ethnographic region and aims to show the characteristic movements, style and character of the Dobrudzha dances and more precisely of Varna Region," dance group choreographer Nedyalka Simeonova told BTA on Monday. She pointed out that the choreography of the dance is hers and that rehearsals are taking place regularly, with the dancers eagerly awaiting the event. The Kitka dance group was founded in 2012 at the Bulgarian School in Barking, London, and currently consists of 15 people. “Initially, I worked with the children from the school. Their mothers, who were waiting for them while I was conducting rehearsals with the children, showed a strong interest in Bulgarian folk dances and wanted to dance too,” Simeonova recalled, adding that the dance formation has a rich concert activity, with performances in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain and Greece.

The travelling festival is organized by and for amateur folklore ensembles performing outside Bulgaria. The initiative was launched by the "Ot Izvora" group in Lyon, France, which hosted both the first edition in 2015 and the tenth edition in 2025. More than 100 dance ensembles and over 4,000 guests are expected at the 11th Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance in Munich in May. The Bulgarian News Agency is the official media partner of the event and will present all participants.