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14 November 2024
Katy Bishop, Editor
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Another Friday night dance is imminent! Last week I taught a village dance that we learned on the Bulgaria tour, and I am looking forward to enjoying it again with everyone! Karakachansko horo, from the Thrace folk region, is unique in many ways — you can find out how if you join the fun on Friday night!
--Marcie
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Reflections on the Autumn Bulgarian Tour | |
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For two glorious weeks in October, 32 people from across the US, as well as Canada, and New Zealand, toured southeast Bulgaria together under the remarkable leadership of Iliana Bozhanova. We began in Sofia as affable strangers, and ended back there, two weeks later as fast, lifelong friends. Three tour participants have written about their experiences; we are delighted to share their stories with you!
--Marcie
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Appreciation from Down Under | |
What an extraordinary trip we’ve had in Bulgaria. Thanks to Iliana and Todor’s deep connections to the folk arts community of Bulgaria we were spoilt with dance performances and able to interact with locals many times. For me this contact with local people was the primary highlight of the tour. It’s the thing that is so hard to achieve as an independent tourist.
Iliana’s wonderful planning ensured we also saw different parts of the country, learnt about the 8000 years of civilisation in Bulgaria, learnt of their nationalistic pride as a free country at last, and tasted a wide range of local foods. All of which was additional to learning dances and songs taught tirelessly by Iliana and accompanied by Todor’s stunning voice and accordion playing.
Thank you Iliana, Todor and Marcie.
-- Naomi Tocher
Wellington, New Zealand
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Appreciation from Closer to Home | |
I recently came back from the Autumn in Bulgaria Tour, and am still feeling aglow from the experience. I must wholeheartedly thank Marcie, Iliana, and Todor for organizing the tour and guiding us along through this memorable journey in Bulgaria. I’m still seeing the beautiful mountains, the old towns and the wonderful performances. I was so impressed by the warmth of the people we met along the way, and the warm camaraderie within our tour group. Although I enjoyed the entire tour, the highlight for me was the music and dance portion. What a pleasure to have dance lessons with Iliana accompanied by Todor’s beautiful music. It was wonderful to be able to see a number of groups perform – with each performance very special in its own way.
All in all, it was a terrific tour and I am so glad that I was able to go.
-- Glori Collver-Jacobson
Plympton, Massachusetts
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Voivodinovo Village
I always enjoy autumn - don’t we all? But in October 2024 my husband David and I joined “Autumn in Bulgaria” tour for two fabulous weeks. I knew this would be a special time where I’d experience Bulgarian culture from the inside-out. What I didn’t know was how heartwarming and fabulous our trip would be. We realized a lifelong dream of dancing aside local dancers, reveling in seeing authentic Bulgarian dance performances and rituals, and learning beautiful Bulgarian dances and songs. Our trip included fantastic food, sightseeing lovely towns and countryside, touring interesting museums and churches, and much more.
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This was a music-and-dance-based tour of several regions in Bulgaria led by Iliana Bozhanova, Todor Yankov, and Marcie Van Cleave. Iliana is an esteemed choreographer and international dance instructor. Todor Yankov is an accomplished singer and accordionist. Together they lead “Ensemble Voivodinitsi” in Voivodinovo (near Plovdiv), where Iliana is Artistic Director and Choreographer and Todor is Music Director. Marcie is Executive Director of Folk Arts Center of New England.
A huge highlight of “Autumn in Bulgaria” was a performance in Voivodinovo village. We were greeted by two smiling girls in white dresses, red embroidered aprons, and flowers in their hair. One held a round puffy loaf of bread, the other a plate of salty spice. They were enacting the ritual greeting of guests by offering each of us a piece of bread to dip on the plate of spices. As we ate the bread, colorfully-costumed dancers and singers came out to welcome us to their village and to the show. We felt a kinship with them since their leaders were the same as ours - Iliana and Todor.
A few of us started talking to three teen girls in red and gold-checked aprons edged in red and gold lace. They wore white blouses under black jackets trimmed with cord, and red kerchiefs on their heads. “Iliana’s mother made the lace on our aprons, and this lace on our blouses!”one girl proudly said. We’d heard about Iliana’s mother making lace for the costumes. It was intricate and beautiful, and might have taken her many hundreds of hours of work for all those costumes. I didn’t expect to see the lace close-up, or to hear the teens’ gratefulness and pride about it. It was as if the group was one big happy Bulgarian family led by Iliana and Todor. The girls had good English and were easy to talk to, like most young Bulgarians.
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The show started. Those bright costumes—the beauty of the dance and music—the athletic, smiling teen-age boys and girls, young and older adults—scores of little kids frolicking, then holding hands in a line to dance! The hours they must have spent practicing their formations and steps—the joy they showed—and the wonder I felt watching them. Group after group of dancers and singers came on stage. I was enchanted, mesmerized. Twenty years of Iliana and Todor’s work in Voivodinovo village made this exciting, beautiful performance.
Later, I turned to see a beaming Iliana scooping up a cute four-year-old girl who’d sat nearby on her mother’s lap. Ah, she was Iliana’s granddaughter! More family, maybe a future dancer or singer? I hoped so, but it didn’t matter. There were already plenty of dancing, singing boys and girls in Voivodinovo village to carry on their traditions.
The next night we came back to the cultural center for a feast of traditional Bulgarian food, home-made by families of the Voivodinovo dance group. Long tables were laden with salads, breads, meats, vegetables, stews, banitsa, baklava, and every Bulgarian food imaginable. Two of us with special diets were led to the tables ahead of the others, so we could be shown which foods we’d be able to eat. Even the scrumptious banitsa was made with ingredients especially for us. And the baklava! The freshest and best I’ve ever eaten.
But wait, there was more! Music started up, and we joined hands in traditional Bulgarian line dance with the Voivodinovo “recreational” dancers. Some of the older dancers didn’t know many English words, and most of us didn’t speak much Bulgarian, but we danced together for a couple hours…no words needed. I laughed and joked with middle-aged women who pointed out their daughters dancing at the beginning of the line.
Tour leader Marcie called some New England-style dances, and she got us laughing from the start of the teaching until the end of crashing into each other. The contrast between Bulgarian and American dances made the evening varied and just plain fun.
Eventually, the magical evening ended. Late that night I lay awake for a long time, glowing with the excitement and happiness of those two beautiful nights in Voivodinovo Village.
--Nancy Piette
Grass Valley, California
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Dance & Music Series
Friday, November 15: Friday Night Folk Dancing (Arlington, MA)
Thursday, November 21: Thursday Night Folk Dancing (Arlington, MA)
Sunday, November 24: Mostly Waltz for Boston - Eric Eid-Reiner & Ron Grosslein (Concord, MA)
Saturday, November 30: Monthly Dance Party - Pixton Poirier Band and Brian Wilson (Belmont, MA and online)
2025 Camps
June 19 - 26: Pinewoods International Sessions (Plymouth, MA)
August 29 - September 2: Labor Day Weekend at Pinewoods (Plymouth, MA)
October 10 - 13: Oktoberfest Weekend at Potash Hill (Marlboro, VT)
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This week's contributors:
Nick Bishop: Tech troubleshooter, Updates proofreader
Glori Collver-Jacobson: Bulgaria Tour participant
Lynne Janbergs: 50th Anniversary Committee member, Updates proofreader
Nancy Piette: Bulgaria Tour participant
Naomi Tocher: Bulgaria Tour participant
Marcie Van Cleave: FAC Executive Director
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The Folk Arts Center of New England is a nonprofit organization promoting participation in the traditional dance and music of many cultures. FAC sponsors community dances, annual camps, workshops, and other programs in the greater Boston area, elsewhere in New England, and online. | |
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The Folk Arts Center thanks
the Massachusetts Cultural Council
for its generous support.
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