History
Our Origin Story
The life of Conny Taylor (with daughter Andy, right) was celebrated in December of 2006 with readings, music, and dancing. Conny's daughter, Andy Taylor-Blenis, gathered together eight young men and women of the Folk Arts Center (FAC) community, of which he was the co-founder, to perform some of Conny's favorite dances. In easing the transition from memorial service to dance party, the Mladost Folk Ensemble was born.
The company numbers expanded from the original eight with official performances in the spring of 2007, and continue to develop our talents!
In December 2007, Mladost celebrated its one-year anniversary by appearing in the Christmas Revels. For this wonderful experience, Mladost had the privilege to work closely with Bulgarian dancer and choreographer Petur Petrov, widely known for his experience with the Bulgarian ensemble Rhodopa and the Boston ensemble Ludo Mlado. Petur and Mladost continued to work together after Revels, producing a total of three Bulgarian suites.
In September of 2008, the folk dance community gathered together once again, to celebrate the life of Marianne Taylor (right), Andy's mother and the other co-founder of the Folk Arts Center. To memorialize some dances Marianne loved and researched, Mladost began work on French and Portuguese dances, including Vira Crusado and Bourree Droite de Pays-Fort. These dances were performed at her memorial service, and a full Portuguese suite has since been presented in her memory.
