Thirty group and individual Bulgarian folklore performances took place on June 6 at the Palais des Sports in Lyon, France, on Friday, as part of the 10th festival mottoed "Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance" (Une ronde autour du monde).
The event opened with a rendition of the iconic Bulgarian song Izlel e Delyo Haydutin by Georgi and Diyana Dushevi from Gandia, Spain.
Performers included folk dance groups Gaida from Frankfurt am Main, Germany, BalkanDance from Stuttgart, Germany; Ogneni Ritmi from Valladolid, Spain; Budeshte from Kassel, Germany; and Bulgarskite Kipri from Pamplona, Spain.
A joint piece brought together the dance groups Tropalintsi from Linz and Samodivi from Innsbruck. This was followed by a performance by UK-based ensembles Bulgarka and Pirinа.
The Kopanitsa formation from Burgos, Spain, presented a folk-themed dance-theatre performance. The UK-based group Priyateli from Birmingham and Nottingham also performed.
Other participants included Bulgarska Roza (Palma de Mallorca, Spain), Veselo Horo (London, UK), Buditeli (Northampton, UK), Rodina (Essen, Germany), Roza Damascena (Rome, Italy), Bulgaria (Basingstoke, UK), Zora (The Hague, Netherlands), Oksfordski Horotropci (UK), Zhatva (Dortmund, Germany), Hortse (Cologne, Germany), I-ha (Oslo, Norway), Pirinа (Pamplona, Spain), and Nestinari (Berlin, Germany).
The vocal group Lele Male from Austria performed the folk songs Legnala Moma, Zalyubih Mamo, and a medley of shopski songs.
Among the solo performers were Angelika Boyanova from Milan, Italy, with Shari Moma and Karamfilo Mome, and Alexandra Ruzhinska from Pamplona, Spain, with A Medley from Pirin.
The session concluded with a special concert by the Vereya folk club from Chicago, USA, and a Shopska Suite performed by students specializing in Bulgarian dance at the National School of Dance Art in Sofia, who are among the festival’s special guests.
/RY/
news.modal.text
