On March 31, on the first day of their spring vacation, about 120 students from Bulgaria and neighboring countries begin active work at Iliev dance workshop. Classical ballet in the Balanchine style (as opposed to the Vaganova style studied in Bulgaria), modern dance, hip hop, contemporary - these are the styles that established choreographers from the U.S. and Germany will teach during this workshop. The organizer is the Foundation "Dance Art - Iliev" founded in 2008 by Petar Iliev. A choreographer who began his career as a soloist with the Philip Kutev National Ensemble, for more than twenty years he has been living in the United States. He was educated at home and overseas - at the National Dance Institute in New York. He has worked in several places in the United States, including the Westwind International Folk Ensemble - one of the first dance companies in the United States whose mission is to acquaint the American public with a wealth of ethnic dance.  He teaches at the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Chicago Ballet.

“It has long been my desire to do something in Bulgaria”, Petar Iliev told Radio Bulgaria. “After my visit to the National School of Dance where I found like-minded people, the idea took a very clear shape. We are grateful to the America for Bulgaria Foundation, which once again supports us, otherwise our work here would be impossible. Our training has been very intense in all styles. My intention is that along with Broadway jazz, young people could learn hip-hop, classical ballet, etc. Professionals must be proficient in all directions. At the end of the course we will give five scholarships. From day one we work very closely with the participants. For us it is important to understand not only what their technical capabilities are, but also what their work ethic is if they want to grow professionally. Our art is happiness and emotion, they must learn to show the joy of dancing, to be more confident and pursue their dreams”, says Petar Iliev.

Here are the impressions of one of the participants in the workshop, Andreya Andonova: "I am a student at the National School of Dance Art in Sofia and gained a scholarship for the Iliev dance workshop Iliev in 201.3 I had the incredible chance to get into the dance school with the Pacific Northwest Ballet. There, everything is much different as many new areas opened in front of me that I did not know before. My thinking became more flexible, and my love for dance ignited even more. My participation in this workshop inspired me very much. I had never danced jazz, Balanchine ... I did not want to miss a single moment with these wonderful teachers."

English version: Rossitsa Petcova