Senior Anzhelo Katsarski has been dancing since the age of 10, but it is probably not the type of dance most people think of–he’s been dancing traditional Bulgarian dances and hip-hop.

He learned Bulgarian dancing from his family, and his talent and passion grew over time. After moving counties, he also began taking hip-hop classes.

Bulgarian dancing involves keeping your hands on your waist while your legs do most of the work, focusing on intricate leg movements with cultural significance. On the other hand, hip-hop is all about free movement, allowing for dynamic arm and hand gestures and often syncing with modern music.

As a Bulgarian dancer, Katsarski usually dances for his family and sometimes at formal events. He started dancing because it’s a part of his culture, especially during celebrations like weddings.

“It’s a cultural thing, and I’ve seen it a lot marriage-wise, and we dance when we celebrate,” Katsarski said.

Katsarski’s talent didn’t arise out of nowhere. Even with his dedication, he still struggled to learn both dancing styles. He talks about the teaching differences in the contrasting dance classes.

“If I got something wrong, I would get yelled at for my cultural dancing. Hip-hop wise they would just say that I was doing it wrong,” Katsarski said.

Katsarski’s own definition of what dancing means to him involves a straightforward way of understanding music.

“I really liked music, and when I really liked music, I just shook my hands and feet,” Katsarski said.

A memorable moment in Katsarski’s dance career was when he got invited to lead a group of young dancers for a televised performance.

“When I was in this big auditorium and there were a bunch of people watching me, and each time I did some small dance they would clap for me. I felt so appreciated,” Katsarski said.