39.th Europeade in Antwerp

39. Europeade 2002 in Antwerp, Belgium

The merry circle of Bergisch Gladbach

Our group in Antwerp

With 9 male and 9 female dancers our „merry circle“ left for the Europeade. This time we had the required flags and a brand-new sign with our name and logo as well as a little cart to carry our instruments and belongings. With two accordions, guitar, violin, flute and trombone we had assembled a veritable folk orchestra.

Wednesday, 24/7/2002

Leaving from Aachen at 2.30 p.m. we met the other dancers on a resting place of the A4. The other members of our group were travelling from Bergisch Gladbach, Iserlohn, Münster, Siegburg, Essen, Winningen and Düren.

Our guide Marie-Paule

Beautiful weather accompanied our two little busses, and we were full of joy at the prospect of the exciting days to come. In Antwerp we arrived at the Bouwcentrum to register. Our guide Marie-Paule was having dinner in the main hall, where we joined her quickly for a warm dinner, even with soup as a first course. Marie-Paule was approximately our parent’s age and turned out to be terrific, adopting us at once and participating in everything we did. She led us to or quarters in the „Antwerp International School“ in Ekeren, a twenty minute ride from the Bouwcentrum. We were assigned two classrooms with air mattresses, most already filled.

Flemish dancers

After quickly settling in we left again for the opening event on the „Grote Markt“, where the dances and music of the Flemish region were presented. Against the backdrop of the magnificent old city hall with its many coloured flags a big stage had been erected which was now surrounded by the other participants enjoying the Flemish groups and dances. The atmosphere was great, with all the beautiful old houses around us and in the centre the stage. By and by we recognised old friends in the crowd, people we had met in Zamora last year and now met again. The evening was lovely, with beautiful dances, traditional costumes and music.

Thursday, 25/7/2002

We had the morning at our disposal, so Marie-Paule directed us to the Bouwcentrum where we left the busses. The tram took us into town, and we admired the beautiful façades, Rubens` house and the Groen Plaats. There, in the big tent, the first groups (we saw Bulgarian, Flemish and Portuguese dancers) were dancing already. We sat down in a café and oscillated between Coke, Coffee (and one or the other „bolletje“) and the dance performances until it was time to return for lunch.


New dancers are welcome!	The boys think so, too.

Afterwards we returned to our quarters for intensive dance- and music rehearsals. This was our first and last opportunity for final arrangements and leisurely training. Best was the “Sonderburger Doppelquadrille”, accompanied only by Simona and Gerd while all 16 dancers were able to join the dance.

Typical dancing

The evening was a pleasure for both ears and eyes: many European groups showed their dances in the Berchem stadium, and from our seats we were able to see every detail (after obtaining seats originally reserved for paying guests who, however did not come in the assumed numbers). On the running track immediately in front of the seats were additional dance areas which were used by the large regional groups like Flemings, Estonians, Lithuanians and Latvians. Thus we saw not only the dances on the big lawn but were able to experience them at very close quarters. Last years hosts, Spain or rather Castilla y Leon, as well as Portugal were present with plenty of dancers, too. Again it was the colourful experience of Europe that we had had the chance to enjoy at our first participation last year.

Friday, 26/7/2002

Breakfast in the school cafeteria

As usual breakfast was offered between 7 and 9 am. Our favourite time, 8.30, seemed to be a favourite with the others as well, so there was the occasional traffic jam on the road to breakfast. But that was almost a tradition in itself, as it afforded the opportunity of meeting with dancers of different groups.

This morning we met the other Silesian groups at 10a.m. to organise the common programme. Together we found a place for practising, near the parking place, and started the training of the common dances. Subsequently we moved into the stadium where marching-in and -out and the members of the individual circles were organised. Thanks to the good communication among the individual groups and the other LAG-groups this time we were immediately included.

Our first performance was today at 2.30 p.m. in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. Altogether we were approximately 120 Silesians, of which around 80 danced. Vera, Roland, Simona, Edith and Gerd played together with Martin from Munich and I played the flute when I was not dancing.


The Silesian musicians	The Silesian groups

New Sardinian friends

After this official performance Marie-Paule showed us a little square nearby with cafés and restaurants. After dancing there for a while we sat down to rest in one of the cafés. Afterwards we went to another square where a Sardinian group had danced and was now resting. We danced a bit and than invited the Sardinian and others of the audience to join us for some simple dances. That was accepted enthusiastically and we had a lot of fun. Later the Sardinians wanted to teach us Sardinian dances.

The evening programme took place in the Koningin Elisabethzaal in the city centre. The big choir- and music-evening started at 8.30 p.m. . This evening there was little dancing, but a lot of beautiful and interesting music, and naturally a large number of beautiful traditional dresses. Nevertheless afterwards we were grateful to be back in our quarters since it had been a warm and strenuous day. Did I already mention what a pleasure a shower can be? And it goes without saying that the ironing needed to be done in order to be nice-looking again the following day. Afterwards we profited from the mild night by assembling outside on our chairs to wind down.

Saturday, 27/7/2002

Dancing at the Steen

Today’s programme comprised a performance in the city, reception by the mayor, the Europeade parade and the Bal Europe – an extensive programme and promising a fantastic day. Thomas and I went to the city hall to attend the reception while the others danced with the Silesian groups at the Steenplein.

After the reception

The participants of the reception were divided according to their countries and waited in smaller council rooms where water, beer or lemonade were offered. We had prepared a gift each for region, city and committee. Since the members of our group derive from different cities we had brought typical products of our home regions: wine, “Kölsch” (beer of Cologne) and “Printen” (the typical pastry of Aachen). A handshake, the mayor presented each of us with a medal of commemoration, we handed over our presents at the appropriate places and were outside again.

After a chat with the other Silesian representatives we headed back to the haven where, indeed, our dancers still lingered. The following group, from Andalusia, had started their performance, and our group was watching. Together we ambled into the city centre and as we wanted to dance some more, several of the other Silesian dancers joined us.

inofficial performance in the city

After lunch we had a coffee in a small Greek restaurant before we went to the large square where the groups assembled for the parade. The groups lined up at their places with a planned delay: while the first groups started marching, the next bunch took their places and so on.

Some impressions of the parade

Musicians of different groups drifted together spontaneously so we spent the waiting time dancing Circassian Circle and Chapelloise. Then, an hour later than scheduled, we finally started. At the front walked Marie-Paule with our number and the signboard, then the three flags, the musicians and our dancers with Michael from Hamburg who would have had to walk all by himself otherwise. Simona, Gerd and Vera played all the time, a hard job in this heat. I guess now I could sing "Heller und Batzen" and "Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann" and several other “hiking songs” (Wanderlieder) in my sleep.


	Our group in the parade

Farandole

another new experience

At the Groenplaats the parade dissolved. We collected our packed dinner there and followed Marie-Paule to a pleasant little square with baroque façades and a fountain with a large basin. Ah, finally sitting down, resting the feet. A group of French girls from the neighbourhood of Avignon had discovered the square as well. They danced Farandole and it did not take long for the sore feet to be forgotten and we all danced together. French and German dances alternated. If all of us had put our feet in the basin afterwards, I guess the water should have steamed.
After finally finishing dinner we went our separate ways. Some of our dancers wanted to stroll through the old town, others to sit in a café. We would meet again later at the Bal Europe on the Grote Markt before the city hall.

Dancing at the Bal Europe

Some time or other the orchestras on the Grote Markt started and eventually we found almost everyone of our group in front of the stage. There everybody was enjoying themselves, Spaniards dancing with Latvians or Scots with Italians. A mild midsummer night, it was just brilliant. Paso doble in Silesian dress (“Help - Mein Weißzeug...") was swell.
At half past midnight the Schwalmstädter brassband concluded the dance and this night’s programme. Together we went to the busses and drove back to our lodgings. Before sleeping we ironed again since we wanted to be presentable for tomorrow’s church service. Not all of us wanted to rise so early, so it would be only one bus in the morning. Time would show who would manage to leave the covers more or less alert after such an exhausting day.

Sunday, 28/8/0

Bueckeburger dress

A small team met for breakfast this morning at 7.45 before church . A very solemn service with contributions of many European musicians was held. The journey and rising so early proved to be worthwhile, for it was a really beautiful service. In front of the main entrance I had the chance of inspecting the “Bückeburger Tracht” with their incredible bonnets and huge amounts of heavy cloth for the first time. The lady explained all the details of her costume. After all I am glad of heaving a lighter costume .

The big final event was in the stadium this afternoon. It was very hot and we pitied the orchestra members sitting unprotected in full sun. Finally the organisation asked everybody present to forward their umbrellas so that the musicians could shield themselves a little. We had seats under a roof, but it prevented the heat from dissipating. Unfortunately all dancing platforms were facing in the same direction, so the active Europeade participants, contrary to the paying guests, saw only the bands or the backs of the dance group’s standard-bearers. The dances of the several European groups were wonderful again (we would have liked to see more of them...). In the meantime the organisation was handing out water for free, in front of the stadium fire engines supplied water for participants and audience.

Waiting for the performance

Then it was time for our performance and we duly took our places. People walked around with water and filled our bottles. Regardless of the prevailing nervousness the performance was very good and smooth. The music played perfectly, the dancers danced the “Märkische Viertour” without mistakes and it was a successful presentation.

Maerkische Viertour

But everybody was glad to be allowed to leave the green. Out of the sun, relax and enjoy the success. The unanimous feeling among the Silesian groups was that we ought to meet more often. Everybody was visibly happy, and satisfied we enjoyed the following performances.

Sadly, we had to leave shortly before the end. We were driving back tonight and some of us had to go to work in the morning. With the dinner bags from the Bouwcentrum we drove to our quarters.

Goodbye Antwerp !

There we packed our belongings and loaded the busses. After stowing away everything we had dinner together in the cafeteria. We thanked Marie-Paule for the wonderful way she had looked after us. Plans for a participation next year were discussed again. It is a long was to Sardinia after all...
In front of the school we took a farewell picture and then said goodbye. At approximately 9 p.m. we started on our journey home.

It was a fabulous Europeade and we are already considering participating the next time in Sardinia.

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