site.btaBulgaria Ensemble from Palma de Mallorca to Present Northern Dance at Munich Folk Festival

Bulgaria Dance Ensemble from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, will present a dance from Bulgaria’s Northern folklore region titled South of the Danube at the 11th Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance travelling festival, which will take place in Munich from May 15 to 17. 

The choreography of the dance is done by Rumen Ivanov, the Bulgaria Dance Ensemble artistic director Stanimir Minchev told BTA. He said that the ensemble has existed for 16 years and during that time has built a rich folklore repertoire performed on stages across Spain and Europe.

At present, the ensemble includes 22 dancers, both adults and children.

"We are happy to have four boys aged between 9 and 12 and one five-year-old girl following in our footsteps," Minchev added.

He also commented on the significance of the Munich festival, adding that it is an incredible event that unites and brings together all Bulgarian groups abroad.

"For us, being hosts was a huge challenge, which I believe we handled very well. It is one thing to be a guest and participant at the festival and quite another to be behind the scenes," Minchev added.

"To see people who have come to meet old friends and make new ones smiling and thanking us for everything we did to make it all happen," he said.

Asked what advice he would give future hosts, Minchev replied: "Perhaps to leave more free time so everyone can pay attention to one another, exchange experience and learn new things."

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.