Bulgarian Folk Dances

The first steps of the Bulgarian horo: pravo horo, dunavsko, paydushko — the rhythms everything else is built on. You learn how to hold the grip, how to count the uneven beat and how to move in the circle without losing the line. No partner is needed — the horo is a community dance and you join it on the move.

A level where more complex rhythms and more figures are added to the horos you already know — rachenitsa, kopanitsa, eleno mome. The work is on clean steps, on the style of the different folklore regions and on stamina, because the dances get longer and faster. This is where you gradually start to feel the difference between Shopluk, Thrace and Pirin.

Repertoire for experienced dancers: fast kopanitsa, Thracian and Shopluk horos with small steps, long choreographies with changes and figures. The rhythm is no longer explained — the style is polished: the weight in the knee, the quick small steps, the character of each region. The dances follow one after another and the workload is very real, even if it doesn’t feel like a workout.