Girls young and grown up, flipping through the notebooks with newspaper clippings, photos and memories of successive triumphs, will relive together with their idols the glorious 70 years of Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics history. They will take a journey back in time to relive the emotions of their childhood ranging from sheer suffering to elation and exhilaration.

The Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation is organizing a gala concert on Sunday (27.11) in Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture 1 ( NDK) to tell the story of the journey so far. Ups, downs, mistakes, triumphs, injustices, hopes - like human life, there is a little bit of everything along the way.

"Since this is a big anniversary, we decided to mark it with a solemn celebration," Rosina Atanasova, Secretary General of Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, told Radio Bulgaria. The event will be hosted by Olympic champion Simona Dyankova and will feature opera singers, gymnasts from national teams and children from clubs across the country."

Federation president Iliana Raeva doesn’t want to reveal too much about the programme.

"I can only say that it is going to be completely different from anything you have seen before, certainly not what you would imagine a show like this to be," she says, "But the best part is that you will see live many of the legendary champions of rhythmic gymnastics over the 70 years of its existence. Sadly, quite a few will be absent, because many of them are living overseas, and some are no longer with us - those who paved the way for us, but they have left their strong legacy in the gymnastics halls. It will be very interesting, very unexpected."

For sure, among the guests of honor at the gala will be the three-time world champions Maria Gigova and Maria Petrova, coaches Neshka Robeva and Ina Ananieva, the Diamond Girls - Olympic champions in the ensemble, who will be performing themselves.

The role of narrator will be entrusted to Vera Marinova, the most competent commentator who has experienced first-hand the excitement of the victories of the Bulgarian gymnasts. She will bring back memories and untold stories while screening footage from the Bulgarian National Television film created for the anniversary of Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics.

The culmination of the show will be the performances of the young gymnasts, on whom the fans are pinning their hopes for an Olympic gold medal in Paris. The girls are currently working on their new routines, which, according to Iliana Raeva, will be the highlight of world rhythmic gymnastics next year. "Our routines are extremely strong in every aspect - in terms of composition, artistry, difficulty," she said.