Daniela Ivanova Dance

Daniela Ivanova is an accomplished, professional folk dance teacher, choreographer and researcher of the South Slavic folk culture.

She was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria and began dancing at age 4, learning traditional dances from her grandmother, a native from the Shop region. At age 12 Daniela began touring Europe as a member of Rosna Kitka Children’s Folk Dance Ensemble. Daniela later became a full-time teacher in choreography, ethnography and philosophy. She was a co-founder of Medena Pitka school ensemble, artistic director of Tropanka folk dance group (New Bulgarian University), and assistant choreographer of Zornitsa University Student Folk Ensemble. She worked as assistant professor in cultural anthropology at St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University, as a lecturer in dance folklore at New Bulgarian University, and other institutions. As a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, field researcher and scholar she has traveled repeatedly to France, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia, Malta, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, and Mongolia. Since 2003 Daniela has made teaching tours to the U.S., appearing in over 25 states. She has taught at major dance camps: Stockton, California (2005, 2008), Mainewoods Folk Dance Camp (2008), Florida Folk Dance Camp (2007), San Antonio Folk Dance Camp (2007), Chicago Spring Festival (2006, 2007), Buffalo on the Danube: Labor Day International Music and Dance Weekend (2009), Balkanalia Music and Dance Camp, Oregon (2009, 2010), and more.

Daniela completed her Ph.D. at the Institute of Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, specializing in Ethnochoreology and Dance anthropology. Her two Masters degrees are from St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University: Philosophy, with Cultural Anthropology minor, and Bulgarian Philology, with specialization in folklore. She also holds a Bachelor degree from Institute for Music and Choreography (Sofia). Her scientific publications focus on folk dance activities in the Balkans and the US.

With the generous support of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, Bulgarian Cultural and Heritage Center of Seattle and many friends, in 2011 Daniela published in Bulgarian her monographic study entitled "Bulgarian Folk Dance Ensemble as a Cultural Phenomenon."
(English summary - pdf file)

Since 2002 Daniela has been an active member of the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM, UNESCO, Study Group on Ethnochoreology). She is also a member of the Congress on Research in Dance (CORD), American Folklore Society (AFS), and American Anthropological Association (AAA).

For more information please visit:
www.danielaivanova-nyberg.com

Original drawing by Vilma Pavlova
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