site.btaChoreographers from Gabrovo Help Lisichka Ensemble in Munich Prepare for Expats Festival

The Lisichka Folk Dance Ensemble in Munich will participate in the 11th travelling Bulgarian folklore festival Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance, which will take place from May 15 to 17 at BMW Park in the German city. 

The ensemble chair, Ilian Smilyanski, said that their dance was choreographed by Ivan Lyubomirov and Vladislava Ivanova from the Devet Osmi folk dance club in Gabrovo. "They responded to the ideas of our dance director Eleonora Smilyanska and created a very beautiful and attractive work," Smilyanski noted, adding that they aim to transport the audience to the times of the Bulgarian Revival, when young people asked themselves out through dance.

"[We want] to show how a dance-off tease session between a young man and a young woman were part of the traditional way in which young people expressed their fondness for one another. The final group dance carries a deeper message, namely that love, fun and tradition bring people together. It symbolizes the village square as a place where community members come together, share their joy and ultimately preserve Bulgarian folklore,” Smilyanski pointed out.

He noted that the ensemble consists of about 70 dancers, who are very motivated to participate on the stage in Munich and are making great efforts in rehearsals. "We are very close-knit and united. This is also our distinguishing feature. We are glad that dancers from Belarus, Greece and, of course, Germany dance with us," Smilyanski said.

The Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance travelling festival 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.