Folk Dance High School in Kotel

Today en route to our last hotel in what's known as the Rose Valley in Trakia (Thrace), we stopped off at the Philip Kutev National High School for Folklore.  Children from the ages of 6 to 18 who have a talent for playing an instrument, singing and/or dancing can attend the boarding school where they study all forms of folklore as well as general education. The state pays for their education - they only have to pay for their board and lodging, about £20.00 a month! They put on a wonderful show for us, playing their Bulgarian instruments (which includes a type of bagpipes), singing and dancing. 

My main blip shows the school building and in extras are photos of the girls singing, all dressed in costumes from different regions of Bulgaria, and some of the boys dancing.  The last extra shows a small bit of the wonderful views of the Stara Planina (Old Mountains) where the school is situated with some swifts flying all around the buildings.