Dancing Queen

I want to start off by saying that this post is a little behind schedule. As usual.

Something has finally happened in my village. Something that I've been wanting to happen for a long time. A dance class was started. Not just any dance class. This is a horo dance class. Now, you're probably thinking, "What's this "horo" you speak of?" Well, horo is traditional Bulgarian folk dancing. I'm not sure if any description I can give will do it justice, so you can watch one of the dances HERE. The dance in the video is one that my group actually does.

I was so excited when Beti told me that a horo group was starting up at the end of February. I was going crazy stuck inside my apartment because of the freezing weather. This class would be an outlet for me to be more social in the community and a fun way to exercise. The time for the first class came around and I was nervous and excited. I was nervous that the other people in the class would already be professionals, since here you learn to dance horo once you learn how to walk. We got to the class and there were only about five women. This made me feel better. If I was going to look like an idiot, at least it wouldn't be in front of the whole village. We began with some of the simpler dances and, before long, I was on my way to being a professional horo-er. The teacher even questioned if I was American or Bulgarian (apparently it's impossible for Americans to be good at this kind of cultural dance, because we have no cultural dance. Unless you could the Electric Slide...and I try not to).

After a couple classes, word spread about the group and now we have a decent sized group of women who come every Wednesday and Sunday to dance horo. It's definitely a highlight of my week and it doesn't hurt that I'm pretty good at it (not to brag, or anything, but I'm pretty much one of the best in the class). It's been nice getting to know these ladies and having a social outlet in the community.

Now, when I joined this group, it was strictly for fun. I just wanted to dance and meet people. Nothing fancy. That's not, however, how it's turning out. Our teacher has told us that we're going to a Bulgarian Horo Festival at the end of this month. We're going to be dancing on stage. In front of people. In costume. I'm, both, excited and nervous for this. I've never been too keen on performing and they're acting like they're going to put me right up front (since I'll probably be the only American there, and all). We've been learning all the horos in the book and practicing them until they're perfect. I think it'll be fun, though, and I'll try to get some pictures or videos up for you guys. The next time you see me (in person) I might just be Bulgaria's Next Top Horo-er.