About Us

Radost Folk Ensemble is an ethnic dance company dedicated to teaching, preserving and presenting the dance traditions of Eastern Europe. The ensemble has a 30-year history and immaculate reputation of bringing the color, energy and precision of Eastern European and Balkan culture to the concert stage. It presents the music, song and dance of Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, with the splendor of authentic costumes and live music on traditional instruments;

We perform at cultural festivals, ethnic community events, school shows and other concerts. In the past couple of years we have been going through a dramatic generational shift, as older dancers retire and younger performers join. We are proud that we have been very successful in facilitating this transition. We initiated a dance class for new-comers and most of our apprentices have now joined the core ensemble -- 90% of our dancers are new and under 35. We have started a children's ensemble and re-established the women's choir. The Ensemble has recently taken a new direction - fusing intricate traditional steps with modern elements, authentic costumes with contemporary clothing, old folk tunes with original compositions.

Radost is unique since it has been presenting the folk music and dances of all Eastern European and Balkan countries. Recently the ensemble started focusing on Bulgarian material and are so grateful for the rich legacy that is now being embraced by members of Seattle's growing Bulgarian community who are proud to participate in their own cultural heritage.

Radost demonstrates the huge potential for ethnic dance -- both for collaborative projects (fusion between different dance forms), and for presenting authentic material. In the summer of 2005 we participated in Seattle Theatre Group's DANCE this... concert (a part of their educational program) to rave reviews. The Paramount Theatre sold out 2 nights in a row!