I’m always interested in dance videos, so when today’s weird and wonderful documentary came up in my feed, I bookmarked it and moved on. When I finally got around to watching it, I was actually made at myself for waiting. this is really something special. The mini documentary below is by The New Yorker, and I’ve watched the dancing parts of it more than 10 times. I can’t get enough of the spooky beauty of the costumes and the perfection of the dancers’ movements. They know just what to do to make the costumes their most effective. I’m a little obsessed.

This is the practice of Kukeri, which is practiced by at least one village in Bulgaria. It’s intended to chase away evil spirits, but if the spirits have any taste, they’re probably coming back year after year to enjoy the spectacle. Villagers of all ages participate together, and I’m certain the festival helps the different generations appreciate each other.

“Evil is when we don’t want to be together.”

You can learn more about Bulgarian folk culture on the Yordanovi Art YouTube channel.