Groups 2025
We present all the groups taking part in Moreira Folkfest - Maia International Folklore Festival 2025 so that you can get to know a little about the countries that will be visiting us from 25 July to 2 August.
The Cultural Artistic Formation “HUAYRA MUYOJ” was founded on April 19, 1968, by Professor Héctor Hugo Rebollo and Mrs. Camila Acela Soria de Rebollo.
Since 1981, the Artistic Direction has been under the responsibility of Professor Rodolfo Revollo and Gabriela Saavedra.
The ensemble has completed sixteen tours through various European countries between 1985 and 2023, performing in France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Throughout its history, it has received the following distinctions:
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1st Prize in Châteauneuf-du-Faou, France;
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Silver Medal in Dijon, France;
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Bronze Medal in Dijon, France;
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Audience with His Holiness Pope John Paul II (1988);
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Selected to film in Paris for Antenne 2 (1991);
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Received by the Ambassador of Argentina in Belgium (1992);
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1st Prize in Port-sur-Saône, France;
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Bronze Medal in Dijon, France (2009);
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1st Prize at the 17th Traditional Dance Festival – Aigio-Patras, Greece (2023);
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Performed for His Holiness Pope Francis (2015).
The Provincial Dance School – Castro Floxo, founded in 1977, is a folk group dedicated to recovering, studying and promoting the cultural traditions of Galicia. Its work includes the authentic recreation of dances, music, songs, traditional costumes and crafts, based on thorough ethnographic research in Galician villages.
Based in Ourense and with more than 300 students, the school has been a project of the Provincial Government of Ourense since 1984 and is part of the “Xaquín Lorenzo” Centre for Popular Culture. Its repertoire features dances such as muiñeiras, jotas, mazurkas and ritual dances, performed with traditional instruments like bagpipes, tambourines and drums, and accompanied by a rich collection of traditional costumes.
Throughout its history, the group has performed in over 30 countries (including Germany, France, Russia, Taiwan and Brazil), establishing itself as a true ambassador of Galician culture worldwide. In 2025, highlights include performances at the Festival de la Fruta y las Flores (Ambato, Ecuador) and the International Folklore Festival of Východná (Slovakia).
The Nikola Jonkov Vapcarov Folklore Ensemble was founded in 1978 in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia.
Throughout its 46 years of existence, the group has earned numerous awards and distinctions at international folklore festivals. In the last decade alone, some of its achievements include:
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1st place (4 times) and 3rd place (2 times) at the Zakopane Folklore Festival, Poland (2014);
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1st place in Romania (2017);
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2nd place in Hungary (2018);
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3rd place in Turkey (2018);
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1st place in Romania (2021);
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1st place in Montenegro (2022);
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3rd place in Spain (2023);
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1st place in Turkey (2024) for “Most Authentic Female Costume”.
The group is a member of SOFAM – Union of Folklore Ensembles of Macedonia, the Macedonian national section of CIOFF, and is officially supported by the State, taking part in many national and international cultural events.
The ensemble is currently under the artistic direction of Martin Cvetkovski, supported by a team of six professional instructors and a governing board. It includes around 230 active members, divided into 12 age-based folklore groups, as well as vocal and instrumental ensembles.
With a rich tradition and a repertoire deeply rooted in Macedonian heritage, the Nikola Jonkov Vapcarov Ensemble is a true ambassador of Balkan folklore, promoting authenticity, cultural pride, and the preservation of traditional art.
The “Cultura y Tradición” Folkloric Dance Group is formed by young people and children who create and promote Mexican folklore. Its main objective is to preserve the value of cultural roots that shape the national and international identity of the Mexican people.
Through each dance and the emotions they convey on stage, the group seeks to express the pride of being Mexican, inviting the audience to share in this sentiment and be inspired to join the great family of Mexican culture and tradition.
Based in the Delegation of Santa Rosa Jáuregui, Querétaro, the group has become a cultural landmark in the region. It has participated in numerous events in Querétaro and other Mexican states such as Chiapas, Yucatán and Oaxaca.
With international tours in five countries, the group has a solid record of promoting Mexican culture and tradition through folk dance.
Represented by the association “Kulturalne Miasto w MieÅ›cie”, member of the Polish section of CIOFF under number 193. The group has over 49 years of experience. Currently, it consists of more than 120 members, divided into several age groups, from children as young as 6 years old to adult ensembles.
They have their own live music band, including violin, trumpet, clarinet, transverse flute, accordion, bass, prim (traditional instrument), and guitar.
They present two performance groups at festivals:
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Youth group – up to 16 years old
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Adult group – composed of students and working professionals
Their repertoire includes dances and songs from 9 regions of Poland (Lower Silesia, Upper Silesia, Mazovia, Cracow, Wielkopolska, Lublin, Rzeszów, Spisz, and BiÅ‚goraj), as well as two Polish national dances – the Polonez and the Mazur.
The group has taken part in numerous folklore festivals across Poland and Europe. They also perform at local concerts, giving young dancers and singers the chance to gain stage experience and confidence.
The group is led by choreographer Elzbieta Andrusieczko-Tor, a member of the Polish CIOFF organization and an expert in traditional Polish dance. The organizational director, SÅ‚awek Ratajski, is also a member of the Polish CIOFF.
The “Grupo Regional de Moreira da Maia” was founded in 1934 and represents a small portion of the valuable treasure that constitutes the cultural heritage of the people of the lands of Maia and due to its traditions, such as its dances and songs, it is considered the most faithful representative of cultural activities in Maia.
As the main organizer and founder of Moreira Folkfest, the “Grupo Regional de Moreira da Maia” already has 15 editions of this great festival, with its first international folklore festival starting in 2007, thus marking the beginning of a great cultural event that has The main objective is to fight for the union of cultures present throughout the world and bring this magical celebration to the lands of Maia, where the group was born.
The Children’s Studio “Cossacks of Podillia” is part of the State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble “Cossacks of Podillia” of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Philharmonic and was founded in 2010.
The artistic direction is led by Serhii Kachurynets, Honored Artist of Ukraine, who also serves as the principal choreographer of the professional ensemble. The studio’s artistic team includes choreographers Oleh Kapeliukh and Vasyl Satko, and concertmaster Yaroslav Kaminskyi.
The studio has been awarded at numerous international, national, and regional festivals and competitions, earning sixteen Grand Prix awards to date. For its outstanding artistic performance, creative activity, and dedication to preserving Ukrainian national traditions, the group has received numerous diplomas of merit and honorary mentions.
Its repertoire features 20 unique choreographic productions, showcasing traditional dances from various regions of Ukraine. The studio’s students frequently participate in concerts and cultural events across the country, often performing alongside the professional ensemble.
One of the studio’s most distinguished achievements is the organization of the folk dance festival-competition “The Everlasting Cossacks”, under the leadership of Serhii Kachurynets.
Continuously growing, the studio keeps developing new choreographic pieces and works actively to raise the artistic and technical level of its young dancers.
Through inspiring and identity-rooted performances, the Children’s Studio “Cossacks of Podillia” plays a key role in both the development of Ukrainian choreographic art and the patriotic and cultural education of new generations.