Alexsandra Raluca Dragoi is a Romanian-born photographer, originally
from Iasi, although now based in London because, she says, "I have always
had the curiousity to discover new places and to meet new people from all
around the world. Therefore England was the best choice." There she
studied photography as an undergraduate at the University of Portsmouth,
graduating in 2014 with a First Class Honors Degree.
Back in Romania the New Year's bear dance is a ritual
celebrated annualy in a land where where over half of Europe's brown bears
still roam wild.
This year the bear dance celebration was caught on film by Alexsandra's
camera, and she submitted her image in the National Geographic Traveller's
photographic competition in Great Britain, winning the top prize.
Photography awards and prizes are nothing new for
Alecsandra: her website lists over forty that
have come her way since 2009. Her works have been
exhibited in London, New York, California, Greece,
and in cities and villages across Romania.
The bear furs worn in this annual celebration have
been preserved in Romania for hundreds of years,
so no bears currently get killed as part of this ritual.
The bear is a national symbol for Romania, much
as the eagle is an emblem for the United States.
ALLAN CRUSE
16 FEB 2015