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"Balkan" Folk Dance Ensemble at IFF in Finland
26 October 2009

"Balkan" Folklore Dance Ensemble at "Tsar Boris III" cultural club in Sofia will take part in the International folklore festival "Hollo ja Martta" in the towns of Hollola and Lahti, Finland from 24 October to 01 November 2009.

The festival is a renowned intercultural exchange forum for establishment of permanent contacts and relations between the present folklore ensembles. The participants, coming from dozens of countries over the years represent the cultural diversity of the world, helping to keep the folk traditions and establishing friendly relations between nations. Representatives of Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, Spain, Scotland and Finland will attend to the forthcoming edition of the festival.

The invitation to participate in the festival was obtained from the National section CIOFF - Bulgaria (of UNESCO), after a selection of the groups from throughout the country. For the first time a Bulgarian ensemble will participate in the festival which is the sole province of Southern Finland and will consist of a group of 23 artists - dancers and musicians.

"Balkan" folklore ensemble will have the opportunity to represent the Bulgarian culture in Europe through a worldwide unique Bulgarian folklore program that includes dances from all ethnographic regions. In addition to the daily individual concerts, the ensemble will be included in all support activities - press conferences, seminars, social visits, exhibitions of works of applied arts and crafts and meetings with choreographers and conductors. A special place in the program is devoted to the teaching of Bulgarian folk dances to the audience, which will be held by all the dancers and musicians.