site.btaDunav Ensemble Heads to "Other Bulgaria" Fair in Lyon

The Dunav dance ensemble from Düsseldorf, Germany, will perform at the tenth edition of the traveling fair Na megdana na drugata Bulgaria [In the Public Square of the Other Bulgaria], held under the motto Sabrali mi se, sabrali [A band of young heroes have gathered] on June 6 to 8 at the Sports Palace in Lyon, France, the ensemble’s leader, Irina Stefanova, told BTA’s Iva Vatashka.

“We are preparing for the fair in Lyon with intensive rehearsals, always starting with a 15-minute warm-up. We will show not only the style and character of the movements, but also the emotional energy of Bulgarian dance,” Stefanova said. The ensemble’s main piece is Shopsko veselie. “We focused on the Shoppe folklore region, using humour, playful competition, gossip, and rounding it all off with a Shopsko veselie,” she noted.

This will be the group’s fourth live participation in Na megdana na drugata Bulgaria. Stefanova, who founded the ensemble in 2012, said it is part of the German-Bulgarian association Dunav. “I arrived in Germany to study at the sports and gymnastics academy, already knowing I wanted to create a Bulgarian folk dance group,” she explained.

Stefanova said that the members are between the ages of four and 70. “We have children’s groups, a beginner-to-advanced group, and a performing ensemble. Each dancer brings the spirit of Bulgarian dance through their own temperament, liveliness, and enthusiasm,” she said.