There are different kinds of roma dances in Europe : cocek in Macedonia, kolo in Serbia and Romania, "caractere" rroma dance from Central and Eastern Europe... On this workshop will be especially danced the dances of Rroma from North Serbia, Rumania, Hungary and Russia, using the large colored skirt and a shawl as an accessory. Very joyful and deep at the same time this extraordinary dance tells the story of the authentic living of Rroma people all around the Europe.

Please bring a large skirt and shawl.

Simona Jovic is first of all a dancer but she is a singer and comedian too. She specialised herself in Rrom dances, more well known as « Gipsy » dances. Simona has Serbian and Czech origins. She grew up in the Former Yugoslavia surrounded during her childhood with Romany culture. This culture will become her passion and her struggle, in other words, her reason to live. She leaves Serbia-and-Montenegro in 1999 to settle down in France. She can travel in order to meet Roma people from all around the world.

Wherever she displays her work, in her shows,in her seminaries or in her workshops, she presents her works in a historical context. She points the necessity of showing the origins of Rrom music, from Rajahstan in India,to Andalusia in Spain, via different territories like Egypt, Turkey, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, where Rroma people lives. She is one of the rare persons today in Europe to teach and to display on various stages all the kinds of Rrom dances.

Nowadays, she fights for the recognition and maintenance of their authenticity. As a redactor in the specialised magazine in dance “ Passion Orientale”, she uses her owns experiences, besides Rroms, and her research on history and culture to find her inspiration.

Simona is at the head of the “Romano Horo” group, composed of 6 musicians who practise the different styles of Romany music. From Jazz to Flamenco, from Eastern European music to eastern rhythm, inspired by Turkish, Egyptian or Indian music.