The folk dance ensemble of the Saint Pantaleon Cultural and Artistic Society from Han Pijesk won awards for most beautiful stage costume and best stage performance at the Black Sea Pearls 2022 International Folk Dance Festival in Bulgaria.

The artistic director of this society, Nemanja Bakmaz, said that the 22 society members had returned from Bulgaria proud of having promoted their municipality and the Republic of Srpska in the best light.

He said that at the festival they had presented dances from the Bosilegrad surroundings, for which they had received the most beautiful stage costume award.

– For the dances from Kosovo Pomoravlje, they were awarded for best stage performance, and with the dances from Vladičin Han, they delighted the audience – said Bakmaz, who won first place in the best male dancer dance-off.

According to him, the best stage costume award went to Slobodan Simić, while his colleague from St Pantaleon, Božana Đorojević, took third place in the best female dancer dance-off.

The St Pantaleon society represented the Republic of Srpska and the municipality of Han Pijesak this year at the Black Sea Pearls Festival in Nessebar, Bulgaria, competing against the cultural and artistic societies from Bulgaria, Armenia, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Romania and Georgia.

Members of the St Pantaleon society’s going to this festival was enabled by Han Pijesak municipality, Visočnik local forestry estate, and other sponsors.

This cultural and artistic society started active functioning in 2018, and now gathers up to 70 members and operates through a folk dance section with a children’s, preparatory and performing ensemble, and a male and female singing group.

Source: RTRS-SRNA

Photo: SRNA