site.btaDance Group from Harlow, England to Present Bulgarian Pirin Area Folklore at Munich Festival

The folklore dance ensemble Sedem Osmi 7/8 from Harlow, England will take part in the eleventh edition of the travelling festival Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance, which this year will be held in BMW Park in Munich, Germany from May 15 to 17.

The group will present Polah ot Pirina, a dance in the style of the Pirin area in Southwestern Bulgaria. They chose it because the theme of the new edition of the festival is love, and Pirin area folklore speaks of love most strongly and expresses its magic most vividly, said Asparuh and Savka Markov, founders of the folklore dance ensemble, speaking for the BTA section BG World.

They noted that the choreography of the dance was created by Mihail Mitrev, choreographer and leader of the Praznik Dance Company in Sandanski, and the music is by Petyo Krastev.

The Markovs told BTA that with this dance, the group wants to send a message about the beauty and power of love – "that pure, inspiring emotion that brings people together and makes them feel connected". The idea is to convey the magic of Bulgarian folklore and to touch the hearts of the audience by reminding them how alive and moving tradition can be.

According to the founders of Sedem Osmi 7/8, the ensemble is in the middle of very intensive preparations for the festival: "Every Tuesday we have extended rehearsals and work until late in the evening. Preparations are now in full swing, and very soon we will also begin intensive weekend rehearsals so that we can present the dance in the best possible way."

Asparuh and Savka Markov also explained that the concept for creating the dance ensemble Sedem Osmi 7/8 was born during the Covid-19 pandemic:

"A period in which we were all confined to our homes and isolated from the world. Despite the restrictions, we had already found a hall, signed a contract, and were eagerly waiting for the measures to be lifted so that we could begin work. Thus, almost 5 years ago – on May 25, 2021 – Sedem Osmi 7/8 officially opened its doors and began its development."

They pointed out that the ensemble brings together dancers from different professions, united by their love for Bulgaria and Bulgarian folklore – "people who cherish the traditions and preserve and pass them on with dedication."

The dancers in the ensemble, led by Asparuh Markov, are currently aged between 15 and 50. The founders of the group added that at this stage they have no participants of other nationalities – "all are Bulgarians, united by their love for folklore."

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 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.