site.btaMontpellier-Based Folk Ensemble Ludi-Mladi to Perform in Munich Festival

The Ludi-Mladi folk ensemble from Montpellier, France, will take part in the 11th edition of the traveling festival Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance, scheduled to be held from May 15 to 17 at BMW Park in Munich. 

The ensemble’s director, Iva Milkova, told BTA that this year’s performance, entitled “In the Embrace of the Flame”, will present a love story stronger than all the obstacles that could bring it to an end. She said the dance was inspired by the Nestinarstvo fire-dancing rite and carries the symbolism of eternal love, both between people and towards the Bulgarian nation and its traditions.

“Through this performance, we want to remind the audience where we come from, what obstacles our nation has gone through, and how what has always saved it is unity with people and traditions. This tribute to history will be expressed through a double love story: for a person and for tradition,” Milkova said.

According to Milkova, the choreography consists of two main parts, an introduction featuring free, rhythm bagpipe music and a second, more dynamic section incorporating combinations of the Kopanitsa dance and an arrangement of the horo dance Aidar Abasi. She noted that the creative team includes choreographers Nikolay Zagorov, Evgenia Ivanova and Preslav Varbanov.

Asked by BTA what message the ensemble hopes to convey to the audience, Milkova said: “Our goal is for the audience to reflect on the sacrifices we make for love, regardless of what that love is directed toward. Whether those sacrifices are worth it and to what extent pain is acceptable.” She added that by the end of the performance, the message turns toward personal choice and one’s inner sense of what is right.

According to Milkova, preparations for the performance are progressing actively, and the choreography has already been almost entirely mastered by the dancers. She specified that the ensemble includes 12 dancers – six students aged between 18 and 24 and six older participants aged between 38 and 50, all of them Bulgarians.

Milkova also spoke to BTA about the ensemble’s participation in the first editions of the gathering and its role as a host. “Before becoming hosts, we saw the gathering as a stage for performance and an opportunity to embrace friends from other countries. After going through the ‘fire’ of the organization, our perspective changed. We realized that the spirit of the square does not happen by chance. It is the result of thousands of details, from hall logistics to ensuring every dancer has a bottle of water at the right moment. We understood that when you are a host, you create a temporary ‘homeland’ for hundreds of Bulgarians far from home,” Milkova said.

According to Milkova, the ensemble was founded in 2013 in Montpellier, France, with the aim of promoting Bulgarian folk dances among compatriots in the region. The initiative quickly attracted interest among young people, and with the involvement of choreographer Zhivko Bochev, the Bulgarian School for Folk Dances in the city was established, opening on October 29, 2013.

She said that the idea of creating an ensemble was initially seen as ambitious, but gradually became reality as the dancers devoted themselves enthusiastically and consistently to rehearsals. In early 2014, preparations began for Ludi-Mladi’s first stage performance, for which the ensemble’s first original dance was created. Only a few months later, the ensemble performed before an audience for the first time during celebrations marking Bulgaria’s National Day on March 3, 2014, in Montpellier, an event that marked the beginning of its active stage career and established the tradition of the Bulgarian community in the city celebrating the national holiday together.

The travelling festival Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance 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 edition in Munich in May. The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) is the official media partner of the event and will present all participants.