Anyways, this is my night out during the HUGE June Festival called "Leuven in the Scene." Big amount of cool things happened here.
These are the German acrobats who played a big musical drums show in the evening, this is them practicing doing a general jam session the afternoon before, about 20 metres in the air, suspended by a crane on a mobile-like apparatus.
There were literally thousands of people in Leuven. Apparently everybody heard about the ruckus, and there were so many people here I thought I was gonna die. I'm rarely afraid of small spaces, but man, when you have about fifteen people in your bubble and you can't really see or hear your friends unless they're pressed against you, shouting in your ear, "No, do YOU WANT ICE CREAM! I'M GOING TO GET SOME IN THAT REALLY REALLY BIG LINE OVER THERE BETWEEN THE FIRE EATERS AND THE STROLLER BIKER GANG," makes me kinda queasy and squeamish.
This was the big show of the evening. The drummers were up in the air with some acrobats, who jumped around a large metal mobile that was in the shape of a flower that opened and closed as they played. The drummers and musicians played pieces from the Nutcracker, as well as a few other classical pieces. Pretty fun. I liked it, even though there were so many people we were very, very far away. The light show you see is the conductor being lifted up on a pyro-technic filled platform, and it was the big finale of this show. Very cool overall.
This is Romanian Brass Band that we followed through the streets because they were going our way. I gotta tell ya, they sure know how to play a trumpet in Romania. They're pretty darn wicked. Kinda made you want to get your polka in motion.
This was the second big show of the night, which was a bunch of French acrobats (Europe is full of circus people, let me tell you.) who were suspended on ropes and wires and did a whole modern art and dance show which was really interesting. Well, the first45 minutes, anyways. As my friend Jean said, "It's too long. Our modern dance piece in our play was better because it wasn't so long. I like ours better." I had to agree. The first and only lesson of modern dance is that one can only take so much of it before people can't stand not knowing what's going on. I mean, not like you were ever supposed to know. It's modern, after all. =D Lesson should be learned, that no matter whether you smear yourself in paint, or strip yourselves half-naked for a bit of perky sex appeal around midnight, doing random arm-circles in the air for twenty minutes to half-baked techno music is still doing random arm-circles, even if you put jazzy, snazzy clothes on it. And the clothes weren't so jazzy as they were frilly whilst still being minimalist and french. Therefore, failing grade in terms of entertainment value, but artistic value was definitely at a peak. I'll probably never see something like that ever again. Now, I don't know if I'm lucky or I should regret such a thing, but there it is. Modern theatre, can't live with it, can't understand it.
This was the last place we stopped for the night. All the trees were lit up in the city park. It was mega cool, with faces projected onto trees, with modern acting troupes hanging out here, and peolpe walking everywhere late at night in the city park. It was magical, that's all I can say about it. Walking around with your friends, getting to be a kid again for a bit (Because believe me, in Europe, they frown upon anything that resembles childhood or fun except at the appropriate times. You should be getting drunk, not having a good time on swings and stuff. The swings may be free, but the beer is nearly free, and that's the moral of the mindframe here.) is really refreshing, especially for me, since I don't get to hang out with anyone younger than 19 here, which is sad for me. But, I'm still having a good time, and the city park was beautiful. It's all I can say. It was terrific. Tres bein.
Well, that's all I have for now. Blogger is being uppity again, so I'll post more when I can, but really, it's been a pretty fun last couple of weeks. These coming weeks are going to be terrible, but I'll deal. I'll update some more in a bit. =D
4 comments:
This entry pictures are great. I can almost see them without my reading glasses on.
I had no idea other countries provided entertainment for the masses. I thought it was just the USA.
Which makes me think you have indoor plumbing and lots of good stuff since we paid all that money to buy Jim Carrey, Martin Short, Howie Mandel and all those other comedians from your country.
Aren't you glad that George Bush passed that Speak English Or Die decree so the whole world has to talk like we do now? Except the French of course who never listen to anything he says.
Do you get out of school for summer or do they chain you to your books year round? What are you going to be when you grow up anyway?
I don't mean to make a political statement or anything...but I'm a poli sci major after all. Ummm, well Mrs. L, I don't think many people outside listen to George W. Come to think of it...well, it's doubtful many people IN the US listen to him. My guess: they're too busy watching American Idol. Man, if only that many people would vote in Federal elections!
Great pics! Looks like a lot of hangin' around. (roll eyes now)
Looks like fun ... and if you even come back to Saskatchewan, I'm sure I can track down some modern dancers for you ... I'm friends with about eight.
How's it feel to be so close to the World Cup? Is there any evidence of it in Belgium, or do they not really care? It sounds like it's more: "Well, you can have your silly football game, we're doing something artful."
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