Bulgarian dance workshop with Iliana and Todor. Iliana and Todor brought us fabulous dances like Elerinka, Kune, and Dona.

Admission
Workshop: $15

Iliana Bozhanova and Todor Yankov

Iliana Bozhanova

Iliana Bozhanova is a native of Gulubovo, Bulgaria, and comes from a family of musicians and singers in Southern Thrace. She toured as a principal dancer and singer with Ensemble Ruchenitsa of Plovdiv as a youth; graduated from the National School for Amateur Art Instructors; and later received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the Academy of Music and Dance Art in Plovdiv. She has worked as a choreographer with a number of ensembles, including the Children’s Ensemble for Folk Dances in Bulgaria, Zarove in Holland, and Bosilek in New York City. She has taught at most major U.S. dance camps, including Stockton, Mendocino, Old World Music & Dance Camp, Beloit, and Mainewoods. She currently serves as Artistic Director of Ensemble Voivodintsi, the 70-person multi-generational folk dance ensemble from the village of Voivodinovo (near Plovdiv), and is the dance program coordinator for the annual Bulgarian Folk Music and Dance Seminar at the Music Academy in Plovdiv.

Todor Yankov

Todor Yankov (accordion) grew up Dobralak in the Rhodopi Mountains. His father, Vasil Yankov, was a well-known gaida player in the area. Todor began to play gaida, like his father, then he took up kaval at age 10 and accordion at age 16. He is also a noted singer. For many years he played with the Hisar folk orchestra and has been the accordionist for the following folk dance ensembles: Rûchenitsa, Hebar, Pûldin and Voivodintsi.

Iliana and Todor met in 1984 in Ensemble Ruchenitsa, then their professional paths diverged. In 2004, they reunited to found Ensemble Voivodintsi, a music and dance ensemble based in Voivodinovo, just north of Plovdiv. The ensemble has grown from 32 performers to more than 100 dancers, singers, and accompanists.