The Academic Dance Theatre of Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar” Participates in the Opening Ceremony of the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship
22 may 2026
The Academic Dance Theatre of Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar” will participate in the official opening ceremony of the 2026 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship, which will take place in Varna from May 27th to 31st. The city will host one of the continent’s most prestigious sporting events, organized with the support of the Municipality of Varna, while the Palace of Culture and Sports will welcome 372 gymnasts from 43 countries.
During the opening ceremony on May 28th, the Academic Dance Theatre has been specially invited to present an original choreography before the international audience, official guests, and championship participants. The invitation is recognition of the high artistic level and active creative work of Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar”.
A particularly significant aspect of the Academic Dance Theatre’s participation is that the choreography for the ceremony was created collaboratively by students from the Choreography programme - Bozhidar Gudev, a first-year student, and Evelina Georgieva, a fourth-year student - together with university alumna Zdravena Nakeva, a well-established name in Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics in Varna. She is president and head coach of the Cherno More Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. The young choreographers have created an impressive artistic presence for the European Championship programme with creativity, professional approach and stage vision.
The students’ involvement in the preparation of the official ceremony demonstrates the practice-oriented nature of the education at Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar” and the opportunities young artists have to realize their potential through international cultural and sporting events.
The European Championship is expected to feature exceptionally strong competition across all disciplines. Among the favorites in the individual competition are the Bulgarian gymnasts Stiliyana Nikolova and Eva Brezalieva, along with some of the biggest names in world rhythmic gymnastics - Taisiia Onofriichuk (Ukraine), Darja Varfolomeev (Germany), and Sofia Raffaeli (Italy). Great interest is also expected in the performance of the Bulgarian ensemble in front of the home audience.