International Folklore Festival Veliko Tarnovo

Foreign Ensembles
have taken part in the Festival:

The group likely use a kaleidoscope kind of dances program, also the dances of the different minorities of Hungary.
The Balassi Folk Dance Ensemble performs folk-dances in handmade, authentic traditional customs, made with excellent folklore knowledge. The dancers always wear the right customs according to the dances of the area they like to introduce. It is also valid at performing the dances and traditions of other nations. The musicians of the Bekes Banda accompany the dancers. They play traditional folk music by traditional instruments - fiddle, viola, cimbalom, double bass-but sometimes in the interest of original sound they use special instruments from the old days, like bagpipes, flute, "tarogato", kobsa, gardon.

The Ensemble was founded in 1955. It set as aim to promote the tradition of the Hungarians and the ethnic living in Hungary. It spreads this traditions in dance halls and shows up to date arts on the stage.
During the Ensemble's working time it received the all award what can be given to an amateur ensemble. It toured around Europe and it appeared as a guest artist in Egypt, Algeria, Canada and in Japan as well. It has taken part in the most important national trade Festivals where different prizes was won.
It organized the 10th International Folk Dance Festival of Szeged where were 400 dancers.
In 1999 it has brought into existence it's own first grade art school. Now it has 650 members.
The Artist Leader is Albert Nagy. The Music Director is Eszer Prihoda.


Foreign Ensembles have taken part in the Festival:
*HUNGARY* - BEKESCSABA BALASSI FOLK DANCE ENSEMBLE - THE DANCE ENSEMBLE "SZEGED", SZEGED - DANCE ENSEMBLE "YANTRA" - "PENDELYES" FOLKDANCE GROUP		ALBANIA, ARMENIAN FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, BURYATIYA, CANADA, CHINESE TAIPEI, CROATIA, COLUMBIA, COSTA RICA, DENMARK, EGYPT, GEORGIA, GREECE, HUNGARY, INDIA, INDONEZIA, IRAN, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN, JORDAN, LATVIA, MACEDONIA, MEXICO, MORDOVIA, NIGERIA, PERU, POLAND, PORTUGAL, PUERTO RICO, ROMANIA, RUSSIA, SCOTLAND, SERBIA and MONTENEGRO, SPAIN, SWITZERLAND, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TURKEY, UKRAINE, USA
BEKESCSABA BALASSI FOLK DANCE ENSEMBLE
	The Bekescsaba Balassi Folk Dance Ensemble was founded in 1947. The group has already performed in neartly all countries of Europe, and also been to Africa and Asia. It won many prizes on different festivals in abroad, one of the leading folk dance ensembles of Hungary. Its repertoire collects all the areas of the Hungarian dance dialects.
The group likely use a kaleidoscope kind of dances program, also the dances of the different minorities of Hungary. The Balassi Folk Dance Ensemble performs folk-dances in handmade, authentic traditional customs, made with excellent folklore knowledge. The dancers always wear the right customs according to the dances of the area they like to introduce. It is also valid at performing the dances and traditions of other nations. The musicians of the Bekes Banda accompany the dancers. They play traditional folk music by traditional instruments - fiddle, viola, cimbalom, double bass-but sometimes in the interest of original sound they use special instruments from the old days, like bagpipes, flute, "tarogato", kobsa, gardon.
THE DANCE ENSEMBLE "SZEGED", SZEGED
	The Ensemble was founded in 1955. It set as aim to promote the tradition of the Hungarians and the ethnic living in Hungary. It spreads this traditions in dance halls and shows up to date arts on the stage. During the Ensemble's working time it received the all award what can be given to an amateur ensemble. It toured around Europe and it appeared as a guest artist in Egypt, Algeria, Canada and in Japan as well. It has taken part in the most important national trade Festivals where different prizes was won. It organized the 10th International Folk Dance Festival of Szeged where were 400 dancers. In 1999 it has brought into existence it's own first grade art school. Now it has 650 members. The Artist Leader is Albert Nagy. The Music Director is Eszer Prihoda.
DANCE ENSEMBLE "YANTRA"
	Yantra Bulgarian folk-group was founded in 1995 by the Bulgarian youth living in Hungary. Their original Bulgarian dances and national costumes from different regions reflect the Bulgarian culture and folklore. They have performed with success at home and abroad. Rosica dance group of children enriches their performance as the rising generation.
"PENDELYES"FOLKDANCE GROUP
The musicians from the group play traditional Hungarian folk music – from Carpatian Basis.The group has participated in different festivals in Hungary and abroad – they performed in Transylvania, Belgium, Poland and danced on several ocassion in Austria. Members of the group are in connection with many hungarian organizations abroad. The ensemble performs dances from today’s Hungary and dances from Transylvania.	The “Pendelyes” Folkdance Group has been working since 1991 in Sopron. Members of the group are students from an Elementary School and students from some secondary schools of Sopron. There are 120 dancers in the group. Aim of the ensemble is that dancers get acquainted with hungarian popular traditions and dances. And children get acquainted with dances and traditions of Carpatian Basis.