Who Knew??? The Library of Congress' National Audio-Visual Conservation Center was in Culpeper, VA? Practically in our backyard!
http://www.loc.gov/avconservation/
Not only do they preserve and present AV materials, they have a theater where other performances can be viewed!
Everyone who attended Saturday's performance was treated to an afternoon of lively music, dance and song! Not only was there singing and dancing on stage, but the audience danced in the aisles and in the lobby to the accompaniment of the musicians. The musicians and singers were from the groups "Kolorit" Orchestra from Chicago, "Duo Kuchevi" from New York, and Stoyan Kostov now based in Pittsburgh. The resulting music sounded as if they had been playing together all of their lives!
The dances were performed by "Bosilek" an all women's troupe based in New York. The group has been together since 1979. The energetic and precise dancing was enhanced by the beautiful traditional Bulgarian folk dress.
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/bosilek/info.htm
In addition to the program notes, explanations of Bulgarian traditions and history from each region was given before the performances which added to the appreciation of the performance. The performance ended with the audience dancing with "Bosilek" the traditional Bulgarian folkdance tunes.
A story that evokes the timelessness and the circular history of folk dance was relayed to me by Cathie Springer, the director of "Bosilek".
Yves Moreau, having just been bitten by the folk dance bug, boards a Bulgarian ship in a Canadian Harbor and asks the sailors to teach him some Bulgarian folk dances. A sailor accepts the challenge and teaches Yves how to dance like the Bulgarians of his region. The daughter of that sailor now dances with "Bosilek" and he was there Saturday to share in the joy of his heritage!
http://www.loc.gov/avconservation/
Not only do they preserve and present AV materials, they have a theater where other performances can be viewed!
Everyone who attended Saturday's performance was treated to an afternoon of lively music, dance and song! Not only was there singing and dancing on stage, but the audience danced in the aisles and in the lobby to the accompaniment of the musicians. The musicians and singers were from the groups "Kolorit" Orchestra from Chicago, "Duo Kuchevi" from New York, and Stoyan Kostov now based in Pittsburgh. The resulting music sounded as if they had been playing together all of their lives!
The dances were performed by "Bosilek" an all women's troupe based in New York. The group has been together since 1979. The energetic and precise dancing was enhanced by the beautiful traditional Bulgarian folk dress.
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/bosilek/info.htm
In addition to the program notes, explanations of Bulgarian traditions and history from each region was given before the performances which added to the appreciation of the performance. The performance ended with the audience dancing with "Bosilek" the traditional Bulgarian folkdance tunes.
A story that evokes the timelessness and the circular history of folk dance was relayed to me by Cathie Springer, the director of "Bosilek".
Yves Moreau, having just been bitten by the folk dance bug, boards a Bulgarian ship in a Canadian Harbor and asks the sailors to teach him some Bulgarian folk dances. A sailor accepts the challenge and teaches Yves how to dance like the Bulgarians of his region. The daughter of that sailor now dances with "Bosilek" and he was there Saturday to share in the joy of his heritage!
