Bulgarian Music and Dance Workshops with Jaap and Filip

Join a music and/or dance workshop with legendary masters Jaap Leegwater and Filip Filipov hosted by Chico World Dancers! One may attend one or both workshops: music workshop 5:30-6:30pm and dance workshop from 6:30pm.

Jaap Leegwater

Jaap Leegwater started his dance career in his native country, The Netherlands, where he earned degrees in both education and international folk dance. Fascinated with the irregular Balkan rhyhms and drawn to the expressiveness of its movements, Jaap specialized in Bulgarian dance and choreography. In 1969, he was one of the first non-Bulgarians invited to study at the State Choreographer’s Schools in Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Mr. Leegwater was first introduced to the American folkdance scene by the late Ciga Despotovic in 1980. He gratefully recognizes the support and inspiration received from Marianne and Michael Herman, Dennis Boxell and Yves Moreau in establishing himself in Northern America professionally.

For the past 30 years Mr. Leegwater has conducted workshops and dance seminars in various countries: The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Israël, England, United States, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. He is a regular instructor at many major dance camps and organizations including Maine Folk Dance Camp, Stockton Folk Dance Camp at the University of the Pacific, Mendocino Folklore Camp, the EEFC Balkan Music and Dance Camp, Kolo Festival, in San Francisco, Texas Folk Dance Camp, New Mexico August folk dance Camp, Santa Barbara Folk Dance Symposium, Montreal International Folk Dance Camp, Ontario Folk Dance Camp and the Bulgarian Festivals in Vancouver, B.C.

Filip Filipov

Jaap is traveling with master accordionist Filip Filipov who has worked with Bulgarian choreographer Belcho Stanev in Ensemble Varna.

Filip Filipov – Sedi Donka | Филип Филипов – Седи Донка