Tales of Dancers
Zornitza at Tales of Dancers
Telling stories through dance
A confluence of cultures
Stories from a thousand worlds
And the foot-tapping music
On April 27th, we were honored to be a part of “Tales of Dancers,” hosted by the City of Burnaby. Zornitza Dance Ensemble, along with six other groups, experienced the stories from around the world expressed in dance. We attentively listened to the beautiful stories from the Kalakshetra Dance Academy, the Cia Dance Group, the Roots Group Peru, the Colombian Folklore Group, the Romagry Dance Group, and the Chinese Dance Bright Sunset. Their performances were all cheerful and captivating.
We were excited to share our own story of our journey and how the Zornitza Dance Ensemble came to be. We performed our fan-favorite Graovski Medley. It was first crafted by Snezhana Ignatova in 2014. The dance emerged during our formative years as students in the Bulgarian school. However, our true journey began in 2009, when we were just a small ensemble of three eager, young dancers. As years passed and we matured, our group expanded, but as graduation approached or passed for some of us, we drifted away to pursue other interests.
Yet, our hearts yearned to reconnect with the vibrant rhythms of Bulgarian folk dance. In 2021, Zornitza was born, a fusion of dancers from our previous groups, as well as fresh talents eager to join our journey. Today, our ensemble comprises 17 passionate dancers, ready to share our love for Bulgarian culture with the world.
The Graovski Medley is from the Shopian Folklore Region of Western Bulgaria. This region’s dance movements are swift and dynamic, yet grounded, reflecting the resilience and ingenuity of the Shop people. With each step, there’s a spark of fire, an overflow of exuberance, and a touch of poetry, embodying the spirit of the Shopians.
Presented as part of Connect Fest Burnaby
Autor: Mihaela Ignatova