Bulgarian dancers to participate in Chinese youth arts festival

SOFIA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian dancers will participate for the first time in China International Youth Arts Festival (CIYAF), an official told Xinhua on Tuesday.

According to Heliya Ivanova, a spokesperson of the dance ensemble Plamache, it will represent the Balkan country at CIYAF's parallel session, which will be held from Sept. 14 to Sept. 18 in Shanghai's Fengxian District.

During the event, her ensemble would participate in five performances, including the closing performance titled "A Musical Portrait of Silk Road" that would show the cultural diversity of countries along the Belt and Road, Ivanova said.

"Participation in the 10th edition of such a big event is a challenge to us and we want to show the best of Bulgarian folklore," Ivanova said.

She personally has not visited China so far, Ivanova said. "I'm excited about the trip and hope it will be very interesting," she said.

The dance ensemble Plamache was founded in 2007, and has successfully participated in a number of prestigious international folklore festivals in countries such as Italy, France, Germany, Serbia, Romania, the Czech Republic and Poland.