In springtime the countryside around the town of Banya near Karlovo is colourful, fresh and fragrant. The trees have shed their winter slumbers and are blossoming out in all shades and colours, the spring waters of Stryama River hurtle down the Southern slopes of the Balkan Range. The hustle and bustle after winter’s end has called to life a magical energy and the grass is growing, the trees have come out in leaf and in the branches, birds are chirping. We, humans imbibe of nature’s energy through all of our five senses. A weight has lifted from our hearts and minds and in Banya, people seem to be walking on air as if they will start singing and dancing any moment.

Each spring people here dance and sing from Lazarovden (St. Lazarus Day) until Gergiovden (St. George’s Day) (i.e. one week before Easter until May 6). In these parts dancing the spring horo is a tradition passed on from generation to generation that has never been broken off, even in times of trials and tribulations. And everyone joins in; in our day children are eager to learn the songs and the dance steps so typical of this region. Singing brings people together and turns their thoughts to nature which will shower them with gifts – wheat, trees heavy with fruit and most importantly, life-giving rain. Horo dancing and singing go hand in hand here, in Banya and people are very serious about not breaking the line of dancers. At the head of the horo is a man, well-schooled in the art of dancing, then come the female singers. “When we have sung at festivals, you will never see us standing like a graven image – with us singing and dancing are one and the same,” says Ivanka Bliznakova, who heads the group for authentic folklore at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius culture community club in Banya:

“The whole group has 26 members – 25 women and one man whom we treat with a great deal of respect for his enthusiasm in coming and dancing on stage with us. The songs we sing are called “Spring horos and songs” and are performed around Lazarovden and Easter right up until Gergiovden on May 6. What makes us different is that men also take part in our horo dancing – in no other part of the country do men dance the Lazarovden horo. Our horo is really long because men have always joined it in the square. We have kept our traditions thanks to the enthusiasm of our wonderful singers. Though they all have family obligations they never miss rehearsals. Some of them commute to other towns but as they get off the bus in the evening they hurry not to miss rehearsal at the community culture club. No one wants to miss out, because singing is what makes their lives complete.”

Out of all festivals they have taken part in, the time when the authentic folklore group from Banya participated in the folklore festival at Rozhen in the Rhodopes has left the deepest imprint. What happened on that day and how do they keep the spirit of tradition alive? Ivanka Bliznakova:

“We rehearsed for this festival for a very long time – we wanted to perform most of our songs. But as it happened, the stage was unstable and as we got up on it and started to dance, it started to totter. So we had to cut our participation short. We were not happy at all – we were only able to sing two stanzas of each song. But then as time went by, we started making light of this incident and every time we have a performance we always check the stage beforehand. When they do the horos the dancers hold one another by the waistbands which are very colourful and beautiful - they are hand-knit which is typical of our region. During the spring festivities, the horo is danced in the square at midday and goes on until dark. I myself came to Banya when I married. I remember how amazed I was by the beautiful landscapes, by how many people there were living in the village back then. In the 1960s there would be so many people dancing the horo that the line of people would go round the entire square from end to end. Not a year has gone by without our dancing the “Lazarus horo” as we call it. It is our way of welcoming St. Lazarus Day and then saying goodbye on St. George’s day on May 6. That is when we sing a special song in which “Lazarus is going away”. After we sing it all people dancing the horo let go of one another and go about their business. This is not just a performance, it is our form of art born of the lives and the experience of the people that have come before us.”

English Milena Daynova