About Radost

The Radost Folk Ensemble is an ethnic dance company based in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to teaching, preserving and presenting the dance traditions of Eastern Europe. The ensemble has a 36-year history and a 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, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary, with the splendor of authentic costumes and live music on traditional instruments.

Radost performs at cultural festivals, ethnic community events, school asemblies and other concerts. 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 is 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 summers of 2005 and 2008 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!