The 19^th Salon of Arts will be unveiled at the National Palace of Culture on May 11, the Day of the Holy Brothers St. St. Cyril and Methodius – the ones, who created the Cyrillic alphabet, the spiritual patrons of Europe. This will all happen with a concert of the Filip Kutev, Pirin and Trakia folklore ensembles. Each of the formations will present its own show at first, while later on the spectators will witness a giddily dancing competition. All tickets for Hall 1 have already been bought, as folklore appears to be modern again, especially in the city jungle, where folklore dancing clubs pop up one after another. The new wave is explained with a return to the roots, a chance for new friendships and some healthy dancing.

The art of dance will be also presented at the Salon with the Trajectory of Desire show of the Arabesque ballet, created by choreographer Mila Iskrenova and pianist Boyan Vodenicharov. The Swan Lake, Giselle and Don Quixote will be performed at the park of the Military Academy downtown Sofia. The premiere ballet fairytale Puss in Boots will be performed by children and for children. Famous Bulgarian ballet dancer Krasimira Koldamova is its choreographer and director. She has never seen a ballet on this story, despite her acting experience.

The Art Gallery of the National Palace of Culture will see several exhibitions during the Salon: one displaying works of Academician Dechko Uzunov, artist Stoyan Iliev, a children’s exposition of the Fairytale World workshop, the National Exposition of Art Schools… Kids will draw, model clay, dance and perform theatre art at the park in front of Hall 6.

Readers of the Absurd Times book will face an interesting dialogue of two poets – Margarita Petkova and Dobromir Banev, as their work will be presented on May 15. Lord of one-man shows Marius Kurkinski will expose his talent with Dostoyevsky’s The Dream of a Ridiculous Man. The Week of Spanish and Iberian- American cinema is a tradition for the Salon. Fans of ikebana will have the chance to enjoy the colorful compositions of Shogo Kariyazaki from Japan. His exhibition is a part of the Days of Japanese Culture in Bulgaria.

The music selection of the Salon is doubtlessly its richest part. The 100^th birth anniversary of great Bulgarian basso Boris Hristov will be the accent. The Nabucco show of the Stara Zagora opera is devoted to it, directed by Anette Leistenschneider. Furthermore: the Boris Godunov outdoor performance in front of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral; a series of concerts, including of the BNR’s Mixed Choir, a conference at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and documentaries for the famous Bulgarian are to take place.

The Sofia Music Weeks festival partners the Salon of Arts this year. There are over 50 events, included in the program, with performers from more than 15 countries. Both forums are a part of the Sofia Municipality’s Cultural Program and will uphold the capital’s candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2019.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev