site.btaOt Izvora Bulgarian Folklore Dance Group to Mark 15th Anniversary with Festive Programme in Lyon

The Ot Izvora Bulgarian folklore dance formation led by Anita Ekenova will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a concert and a Balkan festival in Lyon, France on June 20, the group said on Facebook on Sunday.

The festive programme will take place at the CCVA Villeurbanne cultural centre. Guests are scheduled to be welcomed at 6:00 p.m. local time, and the concert “Ot Izvora and Friends” will begin at 7:00 p.m. A Balkan festival under the same name is planned for 8:30 p.m.

The group noted that the celebration will feature partner groups and participants who have been part of Ot Izvora'ss history over the years. Admission to the event is free.

Ot Izvora was founded in 2011 in Lyon. Its main goal is to promote and spread Bulgarian folk songs, dances, customs, and folk art. In 2015, on the initiative of Anita Ekenova, the Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance travelling festival was launched. It is organized annually by Bulgarian folk ensembles in various European countries. The latest, 11th edition of the festival, took place in Munich in April. Next year's festival will be hosted by the Sovatchii folk formation in Cyprus. 

On May 15, BTA and the Ot Izvora Association signed a partnership agreement, which envisages that the two sides will join efforts “under conditions of partnership and cooperation to encourage the development and promotion of various activities, initiatives and events”.