Iliana Bozhanova & Todor Yankov

BULGARIAN DANCE AND CULTURE

lliana Bozhanova lives in Plovdiv, BULGARIA. She comes from a family of musicians and singers in Southern Thrace. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the Academy of Music and Dance Art in Plovdiv. Iliana is the Dance program coordinator for the annual Bulgarian Folk Music and Dance Seminar at the Music Academy in Plovdiv.

Since 2004, she is the Artistic Director and Choreographer of Ensemble “Voivodintsi”- the 165 – person multi-generational folk dance ensemble from the village of Voivodinovo (near Plovdiv). 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.

Since 1995, Iliana has been teaching Bulgarian folk dances and songs in USA, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Israel. She has worked as a choreographer with a number of ensembles, including Bosilek in New York City, Radost in Seattle, Balkanika in Denver, Legacy European Folk Dance Troupe  and  Po Leung Kuk Lee Shing Pik College Alumni Association in Hong Kong, Pojas in Taiwan,  Het Internationaal Danstheater, Zarove and Mladost in Holland. She has taught at most major U.S. dance camps, including Stockton, Mendocino, Old World Music & Dance Camp, Beloit, Balkanalia Folk Dance Festival, OR, North South Teachers Seminar, CA, Pinewoods  and Mainewoods.

Todor Yankov (accordion) lives in Plovdiv, BULGARIA. He grew up in the Rhodopi Mountains. His father 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 several folk dance ensembles.

In 2004, Iliana and Todor reunited to found Ensemble “Voivodintsi”, a music and dance ensemble based in Voivodinovo, just north of Plovdiv. Iliana and Todor has created the repertoire of 40 dance choreographies for their Ensemble “Voivodintsi”. Since 2007, Iliana and Todor are teaching abroad together.