Today "Pastrina" folklore dance ensemble from the town of Montana, Bulgaria left for a 14-day-long trip to Canada. Thirty-three dancers and musicians will represent Bulgaria at one of the biggest and most popular CIOFF festivals "Mondial des Cultures de Drummondville". This will be the 27th festival and it will take place in the town of Drummondville, Quebec province, Canada. Formations coming from 16 countries will take part.

Mackinaw - Drummondville, Quebec Canada
El Cimarron - Santa Fe, Argentina
Folk Ensemble Radost - Brest, Belarus
Pastrina - Montana, Bulgaria
Famagusta Folkdance Group - Famagusta, Cyprus
Folklore Ensemble Quena - Quena, Egypt
L'Arenilla - Borriana, Spain
La Poulido de Gemo - Gemenos, France
Ensemble Gurjaani - Tbilisi, Georgia
Bhangra and Gidda from Punjab - New Delhi, India
Pynimelis - Panevezys, Lithuania
Estampas de Mexico - Monterrey, Mexico
La Farandole - Courtepin, Switzerland
Folklore Ensemble Karpaty - Bratislava, Slovakia
Tahiti Here - Paea, Tahiti
Tam Ti Delam Sept-Iles Quebec, Canada
North Shore Celtic ensemble - Vancouver British Columbia, Canada

In addition to the festivities, the dancers led by the choreographer Parvan Parvanov will held a concert in Montreal for the Bulgarian community.

The dance compositions and the artistic behavior of the "Pastrina" ensemble impressed the former manager of the festival Donald Hetu, who met the group during its last year tour in France. The ensemble was chosen at a selection organised by the festival committee last year.

This is the first trip for the ensemble across the ocean, after having performed on almost all European countries. The expenses for the tour are over 50,000 leva. The amount was collected from personal savings and sponsors. The most important funding comes from the Municipality of Montana and the politician Borislav Velikov. National fund ‘Culture’ refused its sponsorship, concluding that the project is unrealistic. However when facts talk themselves the gods remain quiet.

Autor: Nelly Vasileva
English translation: Vera Genova