Amorpha Youth Foundation is happy to host the Aftican Weekend with Maria Cossa in Varna, Bulgaria, to take place on 7 and 8 February 2020. We have designed several events for an inspiring, energising and comfortable interaction between our special guest and local audiences. This weekend is a rare opportunity to enjoy African traditional dance alongside the trendiest dance styles from continent, lots of music, delicious cuisine, stories of worldviews and lifestyles in some African cultures with a focus on Mozambique and Senegal and in a unique parallel with Bulgarian culture.

MARIA COSSA is an African dance practitioner of mixed Bulgarian-Mozambican descent. Her choice of dance styles includes Afro House, Afrobeat and a selection of traditional dances from Africa. Most recently, in 2018, Maria was part of a 6-week intense international dance workshop in African dance in Senegal.

Photo: Filip Mihaylov

Maria Cossa is the only dance teacher in Bulgaria who focuses fully on African dance. Her dance portfolio already includes local and international collaborations with artists from Bulgaria, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria, and Cameroon. In 2016 she designed African Dance Expression, her experimental dance classes aimed at the dancer’s full development and self-refinement drawing on the expressive language of African dance. Maria Cossa is also coorganiser of Africa Day Sofia in 2016,2017 and 2018, and special guest at Days of Africa Burgas in 2018 and 2019. Her dance platform, African Dance Expression, was part of Wake Up Festival in 2018 and 2019, 2018 Beglika Festival, Pleven International Jazz Fest, and 2018 International Dance and Art Seminar Pernik. She is featured in music videos by artists Jahmmi Youth, Zafayah, Elegance Trio, Svetlana Vasileva – Strela. In other 2018 she launched her national dance tour to promote African dance throughout Bulgaria.

✨ EVENT PROGRAMME – 7-8 February 2020 ✨

7 February, Friday
13:30 – 17:30   Multicultural City of Varna: Culture of Mozambique – cooking and dance workshop at school
21:00 – 03:00   AfroVibes Party w/ Maria Cossa & Reggiе

8 February, Saturday
12:30 – 14:00   Dance Classes ∵ Afro House
16:30 – 18:00   Dance Classes ∵ West African Traditional Dance: Macru
19:00 – 20:30   Breakwater Talks: Bulgarian : Maria Cossa on Dance, Mozambique and Senegal

⊱⊱WEST AFRICAN TRADITIONAL DANCE. MACRU – DANCE CLASS
Level: Open (no prior training required)
Special challenges available for experienced dancers.
Venue: The Center World – urban dance school and dance stage
Address: Varna, 4 Shipka Str
Date: 8 February / Saturday / 16:30 – 18:00 h
Ticket: 10 lv / prior confirmation in FB event, payment at door

⊱⊱AFRO HOUSE – DANCE CLASS
Level: Open (no prior training required)
Venue: The Center World – urban dance school and dance stage
Address: Varna, 4 Shipka Str
Date: 8 February/ Saturday / 12:30 – 14:00 h
Ticket: 10 lv / prior confirmation in FB event, payment at door

⊱⊱AFROVIBES PARTY w/ MARIA COSSA & REGGIE
Afro Dance Collaboration:
Maria Cossa / Bulgaria, Mozambique/ African Dances with Maria Cossa / dance
Regina Stoycheva / Bulgaria, Nigeria / Panda TM Crew / dance
DJ D Young / music
Venue: Bar BRAND, Varna, 2 Musala Street
Date: 7 February / Friday / 21:00 – 03:00 h
Ticket: 5 lv

⊱⊱BREAKWATER TALKS: BULGARIAN : MARIA COSSA
TOPIC: African Dance, the Key to Mozambique and Senegal in Maria Cossa’s Life Story
Guest speaker: Maria Cossa – African dance practitioner, Mozambique / Bulgaria
Venue: Contemporary space
Address: Varna, 23 Marko Balabanov Str
Date: 8 February / Saturday / 19:00 – 20:30 h
Language: Bulgarian
Free entry / book in FB event

African Dance, the Key to Mozambique and Senegal in Maria Cossa’s Life Story:
○ Living between cultures – from Mozambique to Srebarna Village, Bulgaria
○ Africa in the colours of Dance
○ Dance / Philosophy / Revolution

Learn more about Amorpha’s Breakwater Talks series (since 2016)

⊱⊱MULTICULTURAL CITY VARNA: CULTURE OF MOZAMBIQUE
Cooking and dance workshop at school. Intercultural education project.
Joint initiative by Amorpha Youth Foundation and LFI International French College in Varna (2015-2020)
Closed educational event for students at the school.
Venue: LFI Varna Lycée Français International de Varna
Date: 7 February / Friday / 13:30 – 17:30 h