Several thousands of dancers - kids and young people with picturesque costumes and smiling faces flooded these days the streets of three of Bulgaria’s most famous resorts. Nessebar, Sunny Beach and St. Vlas turned into a huge stage of dancing art. The participants in two parallel festivals were applauded by the audience, attracted by the magnificent music and the talent of these young performers.

© Photo: Veneta Nikolova

The Bulgarian participants were applauded by the tourists downtown Sunny Beach

The Nestia folklore center was the organizer of this true fest of dancing art, with its long years of traditions in the popularization of Bulgarian folklore. The fest was a guest at the open stage downtown Sunny Beach, as well as at the amphitheater of the neighboring resort of St. Vlas. In the meantime the resort of Nessebar nearby was the venue /June 15 – 19/ of the Sun, Joy, Beauty traditional International Children’s Festival. Over 5,000 children, mainly from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Latvia and Bulgaria invaded with joy the narrow streets of the place, included in UNESCO’s world cultural heritage list. The young dancers demonstrated their talent and will to win the awards at the different sections. In fact exactly that strong wish of the participants to step on stage was the reason the Nestia fest to be unveiled as a sort of a second stage in the neighboring resort of Sunny Beach.

© Photo: Veneta Nikolova

The foreign dance formations demonstrated real talent and magnificent choreography

CEO of the Nestia Folk Center Hristo Stankov explains:

“This is its first edition in Sunny Beach as an official second stage of Sun, Joy, Beauty in Nessebar. We work with several tour operators that bring the formations at the seaside. After their participation in Nessebar is over those dance here too. These are groups from the countries mentioned above. However, our stage is open for everyone, who is in town, who is an artist with some costume and wishes to perform. We grant diplomas, certificates, statues etc. All our concerts start and end with a big chain dance in the square.”

© Photo: Veneta Nikolova

Anyone could take a picture with the Bulgarian participants and their beautiful national folk costumes

The Bulgarian participation demonstrates the unique wealth and shine of our folklore. The audience started to dance with the hot blooded chain dances of the Stolnik Ensemble from the village of the same name and the ones of the Biserche dancing formation from the Suhodol neighborhood of Sofia. The magnificent voice of folk singer Lyubka Rondova could be heard from the stage of Slanchev Bryag. Here is what actress Snezhana Andonova from the Nestia Center said:

“People from all countries and nationalities visit our concerts and those are like hypnotized by Bulgarian folklore. This is how their interest to dances and to our rich history and culture is provoked. We have dancing competitions in the square with the participation of Bulgarians and foreigners. Those people are so happy that they don’t want the fest to end!”

© Photo: Veneta Nikolova

The little dancers were eager to perform

The works of an offbeat artist, inspired by dance, movement and folklore are exhibited near the stage in Sunny Beach. She draws with her fingers and with oil on canvas. Here is what else Snezhana Petrova says:

“The paintings are abstract and have a serious impact on mental, physical and emotional level. I think my pictures affect the soul the way folklore and dances do. I have included interesting details from folk art, from Bulgarian spirituality.”

© Photo: Veneta Nikolova

The dancing formations competed for awards in different categories

The festivals in Nessebar, Sunny Beach and St. Vlas will be followed by a whole range of open air cultural performances and spectacles with the idea the summer vacation of tourists along the southern coastline to be enriched.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev