Bulgaria: "With Koprivshtica in
Our Hearts"
By
Natalia Miteva
Published September 2005
Ask
an avid
Balkan dancer from Seattle what
makes this year special in the
calendar of dance events, and why
a number of local dancers packed
up last month for a long overseas
trip. Ahead of a long explanation,
you are sure to get a long word:
Koprivshtica [Pronounced "Kop-riv-shtee-tsa."]
That's right, a small town marked
by this big name just hosted, for
the ninth time, one of the most
phenomenal folk dance festivals:
the National Folklore Festival of
Bulgaria. Not only does the event
bring together performers of
different genres, generations, and
traditions from all (I mean, ALL)
parts of Bulgaria. The Festival is
also held only once per five
years, which makes it a unique
attraction for Bulgarians,
expatriates, and foreigners alike.
It took
a lot of planning to attend the
Koprivshtica Festival. The
interest of foreign tourists and
dance connoisseurs has been so
high that the whole town (of
approximately 3,000 people) has
been taken up in accommodations
long in advance. Teamed up with
other dancers from Seattle, back
in January we were lucky to
reserve the entire house of a
local teacher, George Dorosiev,
and his family.
Along
the curvy road to Koprivshtica,
the 110km (65 miles) from Sofia
took more than expected. The small
town was hidden in a valley on the
southern slope of the Balkan
Mountains, southeast of the
capital. As we approached the
town, we saw buses pulled to the
side for check-ups after long
journeys from all corners of the
country. Performers, some already
in full costumes, were dancing and
singing alongside the buses. That
spirit, so contagious and
electrifying, filled up the
mountain.
Upon
entering the valley, one could not
help but notice that the town was
a living museum, a unique
settlement, which had preserved
over 250 historic monuments from
the period of the "Bulgarian
renaissance." In the 19th century,
Koprivshtica was the cradle of
Bulgarian enlightment, its
citizens active in building
schools, churches, and monasteries
and participating in the
anti-Ottoman liberation efforts.
It was
precisely because of the town's
rich history and cultural
tradition that the organizers of
the First National Folklore
Festival chose Koprivshtica as its
host in 1965. Prof. Nikolai
Kaufman, one of the Festival's
initiators says, "[The First
Festival] was a real triumph of
old Bulgarian traditional
culture." Over the years,
thousands of singers, players of
musical instruments, dancers, and
performers of ancient rituals and
work practices have gathered in
the lovely Voevodini meadows near
Koprivshtica. This year, more than
18,000 participants performed on
the 7 stages in the meadows during
the three days of the festival
(4-7 August). The hosts expected
30,000 guests in town, of which
several thousand foreigners.
A lot of
singing and dancing went on at the
stages and outside them. Music
spread from the meadows, at the
restaurants and small stands in
the alleys, and in the tent camp
that hosted performers and guests.
It was hard to capture the
entirety of cultural variety,
since performances went on
simultaneously at the 7 stages,
divided by folklore regions. At
the stage that hosted the Rouse
region (North Bulgaria), I
unexpectedly saw a group from my
native village! Armed in a costume
from my great-grandma, which
looked identical to theirs, I fit
right in with the crowd.
Though
not performing among the foreign
groups, Seattle's own Balkan dance
community had sent a distinguished
sample to the Koprivshtica. Our
group included four Seattle-based
Bulgarian and several American
dancers. Ramona Wijayratne, a
Michigan-born, residing in
Seattle, came to Bulgaria
especially for Koprivshtica. She
brought along her father, Doug,
also a folk dancer in the last
four decades. "I've heard this
music all my life and I have
always wanted to come," says
Ramona about the Festival. Adds
Doug, "Bulgarian dancing is my
favorite. I enjoyed seeing all the
costumes, the dancing was great -
I enjoyed the whole thing." In
retrospect, both agree, "There
were some amazingly talented
people! It was just phenomenal."
For
a shot at grasping some of
Koprivshtica's magic, try out the
Festival's website:
http://www.sabor-koprivshtica.mct.government.bg/.
Even better, experience Bulgarian
culture and dance by joining
Seattle's Radost Folk Ensemble -
www.radost.org. In any case, try
to make it to Koprivshtica in
2010, I bet you it will be just as
fascinating. Until then, as the
Japanese visitors wore on their
T-shirts, we who experienced it
remain "With Bulgaria in Our
Hearts" - and with the hope and
trust that this unique culture
perseveres.
©
2006 All content property of European Weekly unless where otherwise
accredited
