The south east Europeans are (still) dancing: recent dance trends in Romania and among south east Europeans in London

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Twenty five years since the changes in regimes in southeastern Europe, local dance is still thriving and has even taken on a new vibrancy both within this area and among southeast European economic migrants. This paper evaluates these trends by focussing on two examples, recreational dance groups for adults in Romania, and Bulgarian dance clubs in the UK. After a brief historical overview highlighting the changes during the last twenty-five years, the author sets out the current situation in both instances. This is followed by a brief summary of the similarities and differences between two ethnographic case studies drawing from the authors’ participatory fieldwork. The final section raises questions regarding triggers for the increased
enthusiasm for participation in Romanian or Bulgarian dancing both ‘at home’ and when living abroad and the contribution of this to social, cultural and economic values of associated industries.

Mellish, Liz (2016). “The south east Europeans are (still) dancing: recent dance trends in Romania and among south east Europeans in London.” Liz Mellish, Ivanka Vlaeva, Lozanka Peycheva, Nick Green, Ventsislav Dimov (editors), Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe : Myth, Ritual, Post-1989, Audiovisual Ethnographies, Fifth Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music and Dance in Southeastern Europe 2016 South-West University “Neofit Rilski”: pages 189–195. Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria: University Publishing House “Neofit Rilski”. ISBN 978-954-00-0123-4.