Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow and a second run through of the Christmas Concert after school!!

Hip-hip-houray. It's been a long few weeks.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Bulgarian National Costumes"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Bulgarian National Costumes" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550525303/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6550525303_c878682a71.jpg" alt="Bulgarian National Costumes" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

It's a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it's not easy. It's anything but easy in fact. The one thing I have going for me is that this is my third year dancing in the concert. <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/12/21/balkan-dance/" target="_blank">Year one</a> I was terrified and there's video to prove it. <a href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/12/25/christmas-might-just-last-all-month/" target="_blank">Year two</a> the dances were incredibly difficult (and the costumes weren't that cute) and this year, year three, everything was just right.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Before dancing"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="Before dancing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg" alt="Before dancing" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

So this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It's also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we've been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="375" caption="H. and me dressed up in national costume"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="H. and me dressed up in national costume" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg" alt="H. and me dressed up in national costume" width="375" height="500" /></a>[/caption]

That's a lot of Bulgarian national dance.

Now here's the thing, it's worth it.

Why? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn't like dress up?)

The costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don't know what region this year's costumes are from but that's okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.

Mine is snug in the chest but there's not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that's the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don't think that you can tell by looking, it's just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.

Ultimately things like costumes don't matter much because it's just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic. This said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="All of us waiting to dance"]<a class="tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium" title="All of us waiting to dance" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550520961/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6550520961_35ea18fbe3.jpg" alt="All of us waiting to dance" width="500" height="375" /></a>[/caption]

Rumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don't hold your breath.