Early age – Bashkim Braho was born in Tirana, the capital of Albania, on March 20th 1948. His talent was noticed at a very young age, and he would dance encouraged by family members who had fun watching his playful moves. His sister would play the daire (similar to a tambourine) while Bashkim would dance in front of his relatives, getting the first taste of an enthusiastic audience. He completed “Kosova” grade school while dancing as a member of an amateur group. He continued his education at the Lycée Artistic “Jordan Misja”.
Award ceremony with Albanian ambassador, Aleksander Sallabanda
Dancing career – In 1962 Braho entered the prestigious School of Music and Dance in Tirana, Albania. While at school, he was a student of the famous Albanian dance instructor, Gezim Kaceli, who trained in Moscow for five years. Braho danced professionally in the Theater of Opera and Ballet in Tirana for twenty-six years. His extensive and successful artistic career includes international tours in sixteen countries in Europe, Africa and Asia:
| 1970 | Dijon Festival, France. EFDS was awarded the “Gold medal”. |
| 1971 | Dance tour in Kosova, where for the first time he dances as a first soloist. |
| 1974 | Dance tour in China and Korea. |
| 1976 | Dance tour in Sweded and Norway. |
| 1977 | Dance tour in Greece. |
| 1978 | Dance tour in Greece. |
| 1979 | Dance tour in Turkey. |
| 1980 | Dance tour in France. |
| 1981 | Dance tour in Greece. |
| 1982 | Dance tour in Switzerland. |
| 1983 | Dance tour in Germany. |
| 1985 | Dance tour in Italy |
| 1986 | Dance tour in Italy |
| 1987 | Dance tour in Italy |
| 1988 | Dance tour in Italy |
| 1989 | Dance tour in Italy |
Choreographing – In 1989, Braho established and directed ‘Krahu i Shqiponjes’ (The Eagle’s Wing) folk ensemble which achieved great success in Albania and also abroad. This dance group conducted many performances displaying the ancient Albanian folklore, in Croatia (1993), Turkey (1995) and finally Spain (1996), where they were awarded with the “Medal of Honor” by Spain’s Art Council.
Across the Atlantic – Moving to Boston, Massachusetts in 1995, not only did it not end his artistic career, but it gave it a fresh new start. The move sparked the establishment of the Bashkimi Dance which, under his leadership and administration, continues to perform dances from various regions of Albania. Among the many performances, worth noting is the one given in honor of former US President Bill Clinton, on June 9th, 2003. Another cherished achievement is the participation in the annual Balkan Festival in Natick, MA, as well as the annual Albanian Festival in NY. Braho is an important name among the contributors of the Albanian art in the world.