Skopje, 6 March 2026 (MIA) – Metanoia Gallery will host Friday a book launch for Persa Stojanovska's new monograph "The Echo of the Heartbeats of Pijanchani: The Kopachka." The book documents the history of the traditional Kopachka dance, the only Macedonian dance inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Highlighting that the Kopachka folklore ensemble from the Delchevo village of Dramche is the sole bearer of this national and world heritage, the monograph explores the dance’s first ten years since its 2014 UNESCO inscription. It showcases how the tradition has endured through various projects and outlines the challenges practitioners currently face.

Ethnomusicologist Velika Stojkova Serafimovska will speak at the book launch, featuring additional speeches by Mirjana Mirchevska, Nada Milkova and Kosta Milkov. Stojkova Serafimovska described the work as "a continuation of a centuries-old story, of a strong tradition rooted in the souls of the people from the Pijanec region."

She also praised the author as a dedicated keeper of a legacy passed down through generations.

"The author, Persa Stojanovska, is more than just a narrator and editor – she is an exemplary guardian of tradition, a worthy successor to Grandfather Mitko The Hawk; Uzunski the Teacher; her father — the lead dancer Dafcho — and all those who, for centuries and generations, have danced the Kopachka as an inseparable part of life for the people of Dramche and Pijanec, and as part of the Macedonian cultural code," Stojkova Serafimovska wrote.

"Ours, yet also the world's, the Kopachka dance is not merely a dance; it is a sacred legacy and a gossamer thread that connects us to our ancestors. To nurture and preserve that legacy requires responsibility and respect, but above all, a love that cherishes this thread and feels it within the very echo of one's heartbeat," she wrote.

The book launch will feature the Dramche dancers, who will perform both the female and male versions of the dance. Organizers will also open an exhibition of authentic regional artifacts, including traditional costumes, housewares, hand-woven rugs and musical instruments like the gajda (bagpipe), kemane (three-stringed fiddle) and tambura (a four-string long-necked lute).

The book publication was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The ethnographic exhibit will run through next week. mr/