I went with Romana on Tuesday to a theater in Tabor to see the Vanecek. Not only did I get some see some dancing, I was able to learn some new customs of the Czech culture. Children, when they are 15-16 years old, take dance lessons, like kids in the US would take drivers education (they do that here in the Czech Republic too). I had to laugh at myself because I can't see 15/16 year boys in American wanting to learn the waltz but it is part of the growing up process here.
They take dance lessons for 3 months, one lesson a week, and at the end of the 3 months the dance class puts on a ball so they can show all everything that they learned. They danced the waltz, jive, bunny hop, parent/child dance and they teach them how to walk properly, have a conversation with someone....sounds like something in the American South.
The girls dress in their fanciest ball gown and the boys are dressed in a tux and all boys must wear white gloves.
It was fun to see the kids dancing. Of course, some should not seek a career as a professional ballroom dancer and some girls ended up with more bruises on their toes that they probably would have liked, but everyone looked very beautiful and proud to show off their dancing skills. It was fun to watch some of the boys that you could just tell where counting the steps in their head and trying, but not succeeding, to lead their dance partner around the dance floor.
Bunny Hop
This blog entry helped me in translating an old Czech text where a girl is having a venecek. My Czech skills are limited to reading with the help of a dictionary and some basic every day situations, so translating this is an adventure.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I was wondering what this girl is having. A wreath? A pastry? These were the translations the dictionary offered. So I logged in the Net and your blog gave me the answer. Thank you! :)