"I've been smiling so much my jaw hurts."

Shannon likes to dance. A lot. Especially line dances and Balkan dances and things with steps (more so than random going-to-the-club dancing).  So she was very excited when the wonderful PE teacher and volunteer Balkan dance instructor Stoyan organized a dinner and dancing outing with the group of teachers, parents, friends, and community members that have been Balkan dancing with Stoyan. The restaurant при братовчеда (Pri Bratovcheda, or "The Cousins'") is located in an unlikely spot: the interchange between two of Sofia's largest streets, nearly _in_ the interchange. Step inside though, and the roar of traffic is replaced with the happy sound of people dancing and raising their glasses in celebration. There was live music appropriate to dance a variety of "horos" (the line dances that many Americans associate with Greek dancing, but is popular all over the Balkans). The tables are set with traditional festive table cloths and Bulgarian pottery, and the traditional Bulgarian food looked tasty (I only sampled the fried potatoes with cheese (пуржени картофи съц сирене), which I can whole-heartedly recommend.  The restaurant is not very big, so when the dances get going they wind in-and-out of all the tables, even outside the restaurant then back in another door.
I arrived 2+ hours later than Shannon, as I apparently needed a longer post-Open House nap than she did. When I arrived, she was all sweaty and smiley, telling my "I've been smiling so much my jaw hurts." Excellent.
Thanks Stoyan, for putting this together. This was a relatively rare chance to socialize with a broader mix of people (especially Bulgarian) than we usually get a chance to do, and it was just plain fun.
Below are two poor quality (but effective) videos I shot with my phone that give you a sense of the music, atmosphere, and dancing. Enjoy.

Video #1


Video #2