Teachers
Roberto Bagnoli
Bulgarian, Romani and Turkish Dance
Roberto Bagnoli
grew up in Rome, where he began studying and performing folk dance. He later trained with renowned
choreographers across Europe, Israel, and North America. From 1995 to 2003, he performed and choreographed with
the Terra di Danza Dance Company, contributing to numerous international productions.
Now based in Reggio Emilia, Roberto directs Folk Atelier Reggio Emilia (FARE), promoting folk dance through
classes, workshops, and performances. He also organizes two annual dance camps: Balkanot and Camp Yofi.
Roberto teaches regularly in Northern Italy and conducts workshops across Europe, North America, and Asia. He is
known for teaching a wide range of dances from many countries.
Maria Bebelekova
Bulgarian Singing
Maria Bebelekova from the Bulgarian Rhodope town of Shiroka Luka, learned singing from her mother and grandmother. She studied at the Shiroka Luka Folk Music School and the Plovdiv Conservatory, then returned to her hometown, where she taught at the music school for 15 years. She sang with the Bulgarian women’s choir Angelite for three seasons, and has performed and recorded regularly with other ensembles. Maria teaches kindergarten and singing for adults and children at the Khan Asparuh Bulgarian School in Sunnyvale, CA, and gives private singing lessons in the San Jose, CA area.
Maria-Bebelekova
Tanya Dimitrov
Bulgarian, Romani and Turkish Dance
Tanya Dimitrov's (tandimitrov.wixsite.com/tanyadimitrov)
journey into the world of dance began at the age of six in the small village of Petarch, Bulgaria, where
traditional music and dance were a vibrant part of daily life. Inspired by her father, who instilled in her a
profound love for Bulgarian culture, Tanya knew from an early age that dance was her true calling — the only
path she ever wished to follow.
She pursued this passion with unwavering dedication, training at the prestigious National School of Dance Art in
Sofia, Bulgaria, with a specialization in Bulgarian folk dances. Tanya continued her education, earning an MFA
in Dance from the Academy of Music, Dance, and Fine Arts in Bulgaria, an MFA in Dance from Arizona State
University, an MA in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership from ASU, and a Masters degree in Business
Economics from the University of Plovdiv.
Now based in Phoenix, Arizona, Tanya is the Artistic Director of the Balkanik Dance Group and a leading
organizer of the Bulgarian Folklore Festival "Tupan Bie." Her work bridges generations and geographies,
celebrating the richness of not only Bulgarian traditions but also the diverse tapestry of Balkan dances.
For Tanya, dance is more than performance; it is storytelling, memory, and community made visible. With over two
decades of experience, she is dedicated to ensuring that these living traditions are passed on, honoring the
past while inspiring new generations to keep the spirit of Bulgarian and Balkan folk dance alive.
Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu
Romanian Dance
Sonia Dion and Cristian Florescu (soniacristian.net) are known
for their vibrant energy, warmth and exciting choice of dances and music.
Cristian Florescu was born in Bucharest, Romania. He started dancing in 1982 with different
Romanian folk ensembles and studied with various specialists, including Theodor Vasilescu.
Cristian was principal dancer with the National Ensemble Cununa Carpatilor. In 1990-91, he
received his certificate as a recognized solo dancer and choreographer in the field of
folklore from the Romanian Ministry of Culture and the ACAFR. In 1993, he joined Les
Sortilèges, a professional folk dance company based in Montreal Canada, where he has danced,
taught and choreographed. During his time in Canada, Cristian has acquired multiple skills
in various dance forms, including modern dance, ballroom, jazz and tap, as well as
French-Canadian and Irish step dancing.
Sonia Dion was born in Quebec and has been a professional dancer for over 20 years. She was
lead dancer, choreographer and artistic director, among other roles for Les Sortilèges dance
company; Canada's oldest professional folk dance ensemble, with whom she developed several
new productions. Sonia has toured worldwide and has been exposed to a wide range of dance
techniques, including Romanian folk dance, Scottish Highland dancing, French-Canadian step
dance and ballroom dance.
It was at Les Sortilèges that the two met and formed a professional and personal
partnership. They have taught at l'École supérieure de danse du Québec, and have been part
of the Artists in the Schools program sponsored by the Quebec Ministry of Education.
In recent years, Cristian and Sonia have developed a specific interest in working with
recreational folk dance groups. They've been teaching in Brazil, Canada and the United
States, Europe (Austria, Belgium, England, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the
Netherlands), Asia (Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan) to share their love of Romanian
folk traditions. They have taught workshops in Canada and the United States and
choreographed Romanian suites for performing groups, including the world-renowned BYU Folk
Dance Ensemble in Utah.
Email them to purchase music for their dances: sonia_dion@hotmail.com
John Morovich
Tamburica, Croatian Singing
John Morovich grew up in Seattle’s sizable Croatian community. Since 1973, he has studied, taught, and performed traditional music and dance of Croatia and other parts of Southeastern Europe.
In 2018 John was inducted into the Tamburitza Hall of Fame.
He is a featured soloist with the Sinovi Tamburitza Orchestra, artistic director of the Seattle Junior Tamburitzans and Tamburaški Orkestar Kišobran. He is past conductor of the Jele Croatian Women’s Choir and Klapa Ruzmarin, of Vancouver, B.C.
For the last decade he has been a guest choreographer/music arranger for several Croatian folk ensembles in Western Canada and has performed with Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble, Ruže Dalmatinke, Kultur Shock and Balkan Cabaret.
