Belcho Stanev was born in Razgrad (North Bulgaria). A graduate of the Sofia Choreography School, he also trained at the Academy of Music and Dance in Plovdiv. From 1960 to 1995, he led the professional folk ensemble "Varna" in the city of the same name. Belcho also founded the Varna International Folklore Festival held each summer. Since 1980, he divides his time between Bulgaria and Germany where he conducts frequent workshops. He is the organizer of two major annual folk dance Camps in Obersteinbach and Bad Bederkesa. Founder of the «Lazarka» Ensemble in Munich, he also established the annual festival of Bulgarian folk ensembles of Germany. For many years he coordinated Bulgarian folklore summer courses for foreigners in his native region of Varna. Belcho has taught in several countries across Europe as well as in Australia and New Zealand. Many of his dances are already known and appreciated on this side of the Atlantic: Bačkovsko Horo Brestaška Râčenica, Drjanovska Râčenica, Pitat me Mamo, Isu Nedo, Mjatalo Lenče, Svatba, etc. For Lazarovden 2015, we are pleased and honored to welcome him exclusively for his first and only visit to North America.
Return to main menu