Balgarianovinite.com The Bulgarka & Pirina Dance Groups from Kent will participate in the 11th Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance travelling festival, which will take place in Munich from May 15 to 17. The Dance Groups’ director, Inna Koteva, told BTA that their participation is part of the event’s rich programme, which brings together Bulgarian folk ensembles from around the world and strengthens the connection to traditions beyond Bulgaria’s borders.
For this year’s edition, the dancers have prepared a performance of Trakiyski Zadyavki [Thracian Teasing], a dance inspired by the temperament and vitality of the Thracian folklore region. “The choreography combines dynamism, playfulness, and artistic presence, recreating the region’s characteristic wit and lively energy. The choice of dance is no accident – it has a strong stage impact and creates an immediate connection with the audience,” Koteva explained.
She noted that together with Ruslan Rusev, they created original choreography specifically for the festival. “Our work encompasses the entire concept – from movement and composition to musical arrangement and stage presence. The result is a complete performance that aims not simply to present a dance, but to tell a story through rhythm and emotion,” added Koteva.
According to her, the message that Bulgarka & Pirina Dance Groups convey to the audience is connected to the vitality of Bulgarian folklore and its ability to unite people. Through their participation, they demonstrate that traditions continue to live on and inspire, regardless of distance and the environment in which they develop.
“Preparations for the performance in Munich involve intensive rehearsals and attention to every detail. The dancers work not only on synchronization and technique, but also on expressiveness and stage presence – elements that transform a performance into a true experience for the audience. “With their participation in the festival, the Bulgarka & Pirina Dance Groups will once again prove that Bulgarian folklore has the power to bring people together, inspire, and create a sense of community – even far from home,” added Koteva.
She also told BTA that she founded the Bulgarka Dance Group in 2013 in Tonbridge, Kent. She is a choreographer and teacher who graduated from the Neofit Rilski South-West University in Blagoevgrad. In 2016, at the invitation of the Bulgarian community in Maidstone, Kent, the Pirina Dance Group was also established.
In 2019, at the Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance festival in Benidorm, the groups took the stage with a joint choreography. “That same year, Ruslan Rusev joined us, and to this day we continue to create choreographies together,” noted Koteva.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance groups of the two ensembles merged, and they began performing under the name Bulgarka & Pirina Dance Groups. The folk ensemble regularly participates in and organizes concerts, carnivals, and cultural events in the Kent area, Koteva added.
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. Bulgarka & Pirina Dance Groups to Present “Trakiyski Zadyavki” Dance at Munich Festival 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-29 18:50:09 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law