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 their performance, titled “In the Embrace of the Flame,” will depict a love story enduring through various obstacles. Inspired by the Nestinarstvo fire-dancing rite, the piece symbolizes eternal love, both personal and towards Bulgarian traditions.
Milkova explained that the performance aims to remind the audience of their origins and the challenges faced by the nation, emphasizing that unity with people and traditions has been its constant source of strength. This tribute to history will explore two facets of love: romantic and cultural. Choreographically, the routine features an introduction with free, rhythm bagpipe music, followed by a more energetic 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. The ensemble’s message encourages the audience to contemplate the sacrifices made for love, regardless of its object, and to consider the acceptability of pain. Milkova noted that the Ludi-Mladi ensemble, which comprises 12 Bulgarian dancers—six students and six older members—has been actively preparing, with the choreography nearly mastered.
Milkova also reflected on the festival, noting that hosting the event shifted their perspective from simply presenting a performance to creating a “temporary ‘homeland’” for hundreds of Bulgarians far from home. Founded in 2013 to promote Bulgarian folk dances, the ensemble’s journey culminated in performing at Bulgaria’s National Day celebrations in 2014. The festival itself, organized for amateur folklore ensembles outside Bulgaria, anticipates over 100 groups and 4,000 guests in Munich.
Topics: #ensemble #folk #ludi
The folk ensemble Ludi-Mladi, based in Montpellier, France, is scheduled to perform at the 11th edition of the traveling festival Expats Join Hands in Worldwide Dance. The festival will take place at