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 narrate a love story resilient to obstacles. Inspired by the Nestinarstvo fire-dancing rite, the piece symbolizes enduring love for both individuals and for Bulgarian traditions.
Milkova explained that the performance aims to remind the audience of their origins, the challenges faced by the nation, and the unifying power of people and traditions. The choreography comprises two parts: an introduction featuring free, rhythm bagpipe music, followed by a dynamic section combining 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 indicated the performance encourages reflection on the sacrifices made for love, regardless of the object of that love, ultimately leading to a focus on personal choice and inner conviction. The ensemble, which includes 12 Bulgarian dancers—six students aged 18–24 and six older participants aged 38–50—was founded in 2013 in Montpellier to promote Bulgarian folk dances among compatriots. Milkova shared that organizing the festival evolved from seeing it as a performance stage to understanding it as creating a temporary “homeland” for hundreds of Bulgarians far from home.
The festival itself, organized by the Ot Izvora group, anticipates over 100 dance ensembles and 4,000 guests at the Munich event.
Topics: #ensemble #folk #ludi
