“Under the sunny rays of Andalusia, embraced by mountain peaks and warmth, the world was found in our small village. The wind, saturated with the scents of olives and ancient legends, carried inspiration and unspoken words. Walking through the narrow streets of the village of Cortes de la Frontera, with white houses gently blending into the blue sky, we absorbed every moment. Nature became a part of our daily activities—the trees whispered their secrets as we practiced dance, and the stones preserved stories of the past as we learned about melodies that transcend borders.
Through dance and song, I discovered that hearts can connect without a single word being spoken. Movements became bridges, melodies spoke for us, and food was a language that everyone understood. The warm welcome from the locals, with smiles and open hearts, made us feel like part of the community, while the sun’s reflections on the stone ground marked each moment of this magical experience. This project showed me that it’s possible to connect on a deeper level through art and tradition, and that emotions are universal, regardless of origin.
A special moment in this enchanting experience was my birthday, celebrated in a universal language with wonderful people from different parts of the world. As the stars shone above us, part of the celebration, the Andalusian wind whispered stories of the past, and the scent of lavender filled the air, creating the perfect atmosphere for celebration. In every note, in every glance, the warmth of Andalusia was felt, while the mountains around us, covered in greenery, echoed with laughter.
This unforgettable experience would not have been possible without the support and organization of BRAVO BiH. Their dedication and care for each participant created a space where we could grow, learn, and create memories that will stay with us for a lifetime. With deep gratitude, I recommend everyone who wants to experience the magic of Erasmus projects to follow their future initiatives. Perhaps through these projects, you will discover parts of yourself that you didn’t even know existed, in the embrace of culture, art, nature, and inspiration. For opportunities that transcend words, BRAVO BiH is a guide to a world waiting to be discovered.” – Dženeta Fazlić
“It is quite hard to summon the words that could properly describe this magical adventure. Now, when I look back, it all seems like a dream. It feels so unreal to call a place home where you lived for only 10 days, to have love for a group of people you just met like they are your family, and to sing and dance every day and night from the bottom of your heart. This magical place, somewhere in Spain, Andalusia, is where it all happened—Cortes de la Frontera.
During these 10 days, I learned so much about the traditions and cultures of many countries and had the opportunity to represent mine as well. Armenia, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Ukraine, and Spain—five amazing people from each country, all of them talented singers and dancers. Each day was dedicated to one country, so we spent entire days on various activities. We learned dances, songs, tasted specialties, played traditional games, and also discussed more serious topics, deepening our historical knowledge.
This Youth Exchange helped me grow on a personal level, broaden my horizons, and understand things that I previously had no experience with. I feel truly blessed for this opportunity, and I’m incredibly grateful to BRAVO for giving me the chance to be part of such an amazing project. These are the kinds of experiences I wish everyone could have at least once in their life because the feeling is indescribable.
That’s why it’s so hard to come back and move on with your life, to return to reality. Hopefully, one day, we will gather again, dance with each other, sing, and create new memories.” – Taida Terzo
“Spending nearly two weeks in sunny Spain with an amazing group of people made the Erasmus+ youth exchange “Dancing Our Roots” one of the best projects I have participated in so far. This incredible experience was made possible by the Bravo and Amigos de Europa organizations. I had the opportunity to learn about diverse cultures and perspectives I had not fully explored before, all while being surrounded by others who were eager to share their rich traditions and histories. Despite our differences, our common histories helped us connect not just as a group but as a true team. As someone who loves dancing and picks up new moves quickly, I was particularly excited about the main topic of this exchange. By the end, it had far exceeded my expectations, as I was able to add so many new dances, moves, and fun songs to my international music catalog.
Each night, a different country showcased its own performance, and we were all there, cheering them on, showing love and interest, and having a good time. Of course, we all participated, doing our best to learn their dances and become part of their culture for a day. I especially loved the songs from Ukraine, Cyprus, and Spain. The Ukrainian group’s performance of Verka’s “Dancing Lasha Tumbai,” Cyprus’s catchy “Tralala” song that is still stuck in everyone’s head, and the amazing Flamenco show of the Spanish group stood out. Their performances were truly interactive, and after each one, we were inspired to create a playlist with the songs they performed and later added the best hits from our own countries, especially the Eurovision ones. I was thrilled to showcase the traditions, storytelling, history, and dances of Bosnia, with our presentation and the thorough Bosnian festival performance, which our group of five presented to great feedback. The Croatian group also did a fantastic job, showcasing dances from every region of their country, and it was interesting to see how similar, yet unique their dances are, such as “Linđo.”Additionally, I truly enjoyed learning about Armenian and Georgian dances, traditional clothing, languages, alphabets, cuisines, and histories. As a geography enthusiast who has always been fascinated by the Caucasus region, getting to meet, talk, and bond with people from there, especially through dancing and having fun, was incredibly fulfilling. I am grateful for this experience, as it allowed me to explore beautiful Andalusia, stroll through the colorful streets of Malaga, as well as the bright white streets of Cortes de la Frontera, and experience the unmatched hospitality of the Spanish people. Most importantly, I made many new friends from all over southern Europe and built strong connections. I am sure that I will see them again in the future and continue to build bridges between my country and the rest of the world, because that is what Erasmus is all about.” – Miloš Samardžić
“What a wonderful experience it was to dance and share laughter and joy with diverse individuals in the colourful, lively streets of Andalusia. From 28th July to 7th August, we had a chance to portray our country and its beauty by dancing, singing and acting, during the youth exchange called “Dancing our Roots”. Expressing ourselves through our traditional dances and songs made us feel closer to our roots and it helped make our bonds truly strong, because they were built by mutual understanding and respect. By working together to create a performance which will adequately represent our country, for the city of Cortes de la Frontera, we managed to achieve an excellent work environment which made our ideas even better and our show was filled with interesting, funny and educative content! We made sure to immerse everyone into how our lives look, what our country is like and just how much beauty it holds. The locals and all other participants enjoyed our performance and they were eager to join us and try our traditional dances. Likewise, when it was time for other countries to shine on the stage, we enjoyed their performances just as much!
Furthermore, having an opportunity to see, experience and learn different dances from Georgia, Ukraine, Armenia, Croatia, Spain and Cyprus was amazing and we seized the full potential of this project by devoting ourselves to learn more about these countries, their tradition, history and culture. The participants were great people and every day of the project was filled with new stories, games, dances, songs and experiences. We especially got to know each other, because we were placed in a beautiful, small, quiet town of Cortes de la Frontera, where we all spent our time together, exploring the colourful streets and meeting the kind locals who were eager to talk to us. We embraced our differences and bonded over our similarities. On the last day, we all shared one final performance, where we all danced our country’s traditional dances together. It was during that act that we truly realized just how much music, acting, singing and dancing connects people!” – Marija Mišković
“During the end of July and the first week of August, a group of five young people had the chance to participate in the Erasmus+ Youth Exchange called “Dancing Our Roots,” located in Cortes de la Frontera, Spain. Our group consisted of folklore dancers, singers, and actors. In general, the entire project was very creative, artistic, and filled with the charm of positive energy. The aim of the project was to share and learn about the culture and traditions of the participating countries, which included Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia, Georgia, Cyprus, Croatia, and Ukraine.
Each day, we engaged in three main activities. The first session involved giving presentations about our countries and enjoying traditional food from the presenting country, prepared in advance by its participants. The second session was dedicated to learning the traditional dances of each country. Finally, we ended the day with a performance at the main square in the famous white village of Spain.
Not only did we learn so much about other countries, their cultures, and traditions, but we also had the opportunity to ask the other participants, as well as the locals, about their lives in their respective countries. We realized how similar we truly are, despite the visible differences in our ethnicities, religions, and languages. This understanding brought us together, forming a strong team. Each night, a different country would perform, and our main goal was to get the local people of the village to join us in dancing. This task was successfully completed every single day.
Living in Cortes de la Frontera, we also experienced the warmth and kindness of the Andalusian people, a memory we will never forget. The natural beauty of the village was unbelievably breathtaking, like something out of a fairytale. Our closing performance was especially heartwarming; each country had the chance to showcase their dances, and afterward, we created a choreography that incorporated one move from each country. In that moment, as we danced together, we knew we had made lifelong friendships and that this youth exchange had changed our lives forever. It made us more aware, more kind, and more loving.
Now that we are home, we all listen to our shared music playlist and are already planning our next reunion.” – Ena Hajdarević