My Mother’s Folklore by Kristine Pashin

After her mother’s passing, Kristine abandoned the Bulgarian folk dancing she’d grown up with. Now, through conversations with dancers across generations, she’s searching for what she lost — and questioning what it really means to belong to a culture. Produced with support from the Braden Storytelling Grant and the Stanford Storytelling Project. Music: Vocals from Maria Belekova, singing a mix of traditional Bulgarian folklore works from different regions Interviewees: Sonia Kirova, President of Ripni Kalinke Cultural Center Ginny & Alan Snyder, dancers in Ripni Kalinke group Sonya Koltchev, Bulgarian-American student at Royal Veterinary College in London Yuliyan Yordanov, Bulgarian folklore teacher and choreographer Konstantin Marinov, Founder of Festival “Vereya” and accompanying dance ensemble