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Published: January 28th 2013
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Prague Salsa Week
I had booked the Afro-Bailar Salsa dancing conference in January 2012 when it seemed crazy to think that on the 1st of November, so many months away, I would be on the other side of the world and already past the half way mark on my adventure. But it arrived! 4 days of dancing with like minded people and amazing instructors from all over Europe!
First night I went to the wrong venue...haha. Seems I was overexcited and misread where I was supposed to be. Eventually I found it and joined in on 3 hours of African dance workshops. Definately out of my comfort zone, but so much fun. This was followed by an African drumming session which was so much fun. And of course later in the evening came the social dancing. A guy called Vincent asked me to dance...but it turned out to be one I had absolutely no knowledge of how to do called Kizomba, an African inspired very intimate slow dance. Whoops. There may have been some embaressing foot stepping going on. Luckily he was nice and I went back to sit and chat and laugh at myself til a salsa song came on and I knew I actually had a chance. I chatted to a German guy called Christian for a while who also tried to teach me the basics of kizomba and then had a few salsa dances with both him and Vincent, who graciously gave me a second chance. Telmo was my final dance partner, a smooth talker from Portugal, very good at dancing and teaching me Kizomba.
The next day workshops began at around 10am and went to 6pm. Whereupon I dragged my very very painful but completely energised body back to the hostel so I could change, grab food and return for the performances and social dancing...till 3am. Sleep....lots of sleep needed. The next two days ran the same way except I went home early on my last night due to dance injury of someone else's stiletto stepping on my ankle and it swelled up like a pumpkin. Definately money well spent and an imcredible time had over the 4 days. I did classes in bollywood, hip hop, break dancing, African, Salsa, Kizomba, Bachata, Zouk and Reggaton and many others. I felt so energised, enthused and excited but when it was all over I spent an entire day in recovery sleeping and resting my feet. Haha
The left over time was spent exploring the parts of Prague I had missed the first and second time round. I saw the castle, the Lennon wall and some surrounding parks. I also saw..... a close encounter of the alien kind...I was walking back on the famous Prague bridge when I took a photo and when I checked it out, I found a green flying saucer in my photo. Excitedly I took numerous photos as it flew off into the distance...photographic evidence proves my sighting! It is definately not dust in my camera.
I also spent an evening in the musical museum which had an exhibition on the development of musical clocks. I was homesick for my amazing recorder students when the exhibition included a song I had taught them only last year. There was some normal and some strage instruments...music boxes, puppets that played music, pianolas, electric guitars, a violin with a horn attached to amplify the sound, original harpsichord, clavinovas, pianos, giraffe pianos (the strings go vertical within a very tall giraffe shaped box), and pyramid pianos. My absolute favourite and caused me to have a major 'moment' was a piano that Mozart had performed on in 1787. I was so overawed that here in front of me was Mozart's fingerprints on the keys. Wow. Definately a musical nerd moment.
A few other weird's and wonderful's included the world's smallest violin (playing my heart bleeds for you ;-)) There was also lots of string instruments with different and odd shapes, strings, pegs etc There was also recorders of all shapes sizes and ages which made me miss my students from home. Wind sections with hunting oboes in the shape of letter C, weird violins with heads and a bagpipe like instument with heads...freakie, but all very interesting for someone musically inclined. All in all a couple of Euro's well spent, unfortunately photos were forbidden. :-( Off to Georgia to see Mikaela in the morning! :-) Can't wait!
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