The Ludi-Mladi folk ensemble from Montpellier, France, is scheduled to participate in the 11th edition of the traveling festival Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance, taking place at BMW Park in Munich from May 15 to 17. The ensemble’s director, Iva Milkova, stated that the performance, titled “In the Embrace of the Flame,” will portray a love story resilient to adversity. Inspired by the Nestinarstvo fire-dancing rite, the piece symbolizes eternal love, both personal and for Bulgarian traditions.
Milkova explained that the performance aims to remind the audience of their heritage and the unity of people and traditions as a source of national strength. The choreography is structured in two parts: an introduction featuring free, rhythm bagpipe music, followed by a more dynamic section incorporating elements of the Kopanitsa and an arrangement of the horo dance Aidar Abasi. The creative team includes choreographers Nikolay Zagorov, Evgenia Ivanova, and Preslav Varbanov.
Milkova noted the performance’s deeper message, urging the audience to reflect on the sacrifices made for any form of love and the acceptance of pain. Milkova also provided context on the ensemble’s background. Founded in 2013 in Montpellier to promote Bulgarian folk dances, Ludi-Mladi quickly gained momentum.
The group’s participation in the festival reflects their role in creating a temporary “homeland” for the Bulgarian community abroad. The festival itself, organized by the Ot Izvora group, anticipates over 100 dance ensembles and 4,000 guests in Munich.
Topics: #ensemble #folk #ludi
Sounds like a wonderful cultural event for Munich.