Part 1 – Concert, with the participation of dancers from the Hellenic Centre for Folklore Studies (C.H.E.F.) of Geneva (45 minutes)
At the crossroads of Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Thrace, the Rhodope mountain range forms a true cultural crossroads in the heart of the Balkans, between Greece and Turkey. A land of mythology, pagan and religious cults, these mountains are also a place of mystery and music, said to be the birthplace of the legendary bard Orpheus…

The musicians of Ensemble Rodopi have been exploring this world since the early 1990s, in Thrace and Macedonia. The instruments they play, both in their shapes and in their playing techniques, reflect the meeting of East and West, while their combinations of timbres create a remarkably rich sound palette.

Their repertoire is also rooted in the choreographic traditions of the region, featuring typically Balkan dances with complex rhythms and asymmetric patterns that express both the strength of the collective and the momentum of the individual.

These musicians do not only perform on stage: they also take an active part in local life through the many traditional celebrations that punctuate the year. For them, this social involvement is the foundation of the deep connection that unites them.

And when the musicians begin a kopanitsa (a Bulgarian dance with particularly inventive rhythms) or a pravo horo (a very popular circle dance throughout the Balkans), an entire village seems to come alive, recreating the deep bond between music, dance, and community.

Intermission with bar (10 minutes)

Part 2 – Participatory dance (40 minutes)

After a 15-minute intermission, the evening continues in a more convivial spirit: the audience is invited to join the dance floor and share the dances of the region, guided by the same artists.

Ensemble Rodopi:
Drosos Koutsokostas: laouto and vocals
Kyriakos Petras: violin
Nikos Angousis: clarinet
Alkis Zopoglou: kanun zither
Yorgos Pagozidis: percussion

C.H.E.F. dancers:
Marinos Christodoulakis, Chloé Andreadaki, Alexandros Hoc, Marianne Tsioli, Pantelis Vervatidis, Rose-Marie Haemmerlé, Miltos Bozatzis and Maria Siakantari.

Concert recorded by RTS – Espace 2.