Bulgare

If you think that the shows This is Bulgaria and Bulgaria through the Centuries are very different from one another, then, by all means, you must see the third show of the Bulgare Ensemble- ALBENA - which will surely astound you.

Hristo Dimitrov is wont to repeat with a smile: "We never do things we have done before, because there is no way we can do them better."

The new show continues this tradition. It reveals the beauty and strength of the Bulgarian folk song. The song, that has preserved the Bulgarian spirit through the centuries, that made our country famous worldwide, that was even sent in the outer space. The unique show reveals the full range of the talent of the soloist, Albena Veskova, both as singer, and as actress and author of songs. In the course of one hour and forty minutes she sings 15 folk songs and compositions from the Rodopi Mountains, Dobrudzha, Thracia, and Macedonia.

"The arrangement and music of Ivan Kirishev mark a new age in Bulgarian musical folklore", says Hristo Dimitrov, author and composer of two of the songs, openly admiring the results.

Apart from Albena Veskova, the show features the singer from the Rodopi area, Lyubomir Petov; the discovery of the Ensemble, the Voices Band; Veselin Kuzmov, bagpipe; Vladimir Velichkov, kaval; Atanas Slavov-Mravcho, violin. Each and every one of them flabbergast the audience with their amazing performances.

The Bulgare Ensemble once again reveals the beauty of the Bulgarian folk dances in a new original way - with many effects and innovative directing. The most outstanding dances are: the women's Varna dance and the three-fold horo (ring dance) which shows the universality of the men's dancing skills.

The jewel in the show is the "dancing contest" of the best dancers in Bulgaria. The winner is selected by the applause of the spectators. The music of the dance show has been composed by TsvetanTsvetkov. The author of the show, Hristo Dimitrov also takes part in it.

Besides dancers, horses appear on the stage, as well as stuntmen and mountain-climbers. Most striking of all, however, is the appearance of the ballet prima of the National Opera, Vessa Tonova, and her partners Trifon Mitev and Ivelina Nikolova.

The glamour of the show is achieved by, among other things, the craftsmanship of the costumes made for the singer, Albena Veskova by the top fashion designer Tseno Vutov, and the costumes for the ensemble made by the artist Zheni Rangelova.

The script, choreography and directing have all been done by Hristo Dimitrov, whereas financing is provided by Ian and Elena Anderson.