site.btaMadrid-Based Folk Dance Ensemble Divna Bulgaria to Present Original Stage Performance in Munich

The Bulgarian folk dance ensemble Divna Bulgaria from Madrid will present an original stage performance titled "What If It Had Happened?" at the 11th Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance travelling festival, to be held in Munich from May 15 to 17.

Ensemble leader and choreographer Ivan Banchev told BTA that the performance is inspired by the festival theme "Libe Le, Libe Hubavo" and tells a story about love, choice and courage through Bulgarian folk music and dance.

The production follows a young man struggling to confess his feelings to his beloved, combining humour, flirtation and northern Bulgarian rhythms in a theatrical folk narrative.

Banchev said the choreography and stage concept were created specifically for Divna Bulgaria, while the music includes arrangements and excerpts from established Bulgarian folk works.

Fourteen dancers aged between 37 and 67 will take part in the performance. According to Banchev, the ensemble brings together people of different professions and nationalities united by their love for Bulgarian folklore.

Founded in 2015 near Madrid, Divna Bulgaria regularly participates in international folklore events across Europe, promoting Bulgarian traditions abroad.

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.