Innsbruck Evening Gala, Matinees, FLASH MOB, Time off! :)

It has been a whirlwind in the last 24 hours: a nonstop flurry of rehearsals, classes, pre show warm ups, photoshoots, a cultural exchange with Innsbruck teens, the Gala Concert and two Matinees for the Austrian kids...whew!

The Gala was magnificent! When the doors opened, our audience of usually-reserved Austrians, BOLTED down the theater steps and lunged for seats....women in pearls and men in suits and ties, all running to get the best seat (there was no reserved seating, first come first served). The theater of 1200+ seats filled fast, including the box seats on the second level.

Our audience couldn't have been better or more responsive...they cheered after each piece, clapped thunderously in between, and gave us two standing ovations requiring an encore from us! The finale was grand...each dance company looked so good and the excitement was intense. Our dancers were greeted as they walked out of the backstage theater doors to return to the hotel after the show with shouts of "bravo!" and applause from audience members and parents waiting on the streets and sidewalk. The Austrian press was there as well. Dinner was at 10:30pm; and afterwards, exhausted, we all were thankful for our heads to hit our pillows!

Pre Show Warmups with Tom

The Palace and Dogana Theater

"America"

"Mack the Knife"

Finale WAVE thanking our wonderful audience and ending pose...all dance companies together

Up at 6:30 this morning to prepare for our two matinees today...2400 Austrian students were busses in to see our show. We performed our "short program" to keep within the hour time frame. The kids LOVED our black light dance and our hip hop....the parents and directors from the other studios loved "America" and the other Tanzsommer performers were crazy about "Stream of Comfort"....something for everyone, we met our goal. Between matinee performances, each dance company had a photoshoot on stage with the Tanzsommer photographer...
Make sure to watch the videos below of the Austrian kids arriving at the theater in droves...and the finale, etc.

After the last matinee performance our dancers were paired up with Innsbruck High School students in a cultural exchange...the teens took our dancers around town showing them their favorite things to do and places they frequent. New friendships were made, and everyone learned a lot about each culture from each other.

The Tanzsommer directors finally told us what the "secret choreography" we learned the first day was for: we were going to perform the first FLASH MOB in Austria! After the cultural exchange, our dancers congregated in the town center plaza and performed out of the blue for hundreds of Austrians and tourists alike. It was FUN, and everyone had a great time, including Austrian TV....we are going to be on their national news tonight!

Innsbruck Town Square before the flash mob...notice the real gold roofed building

FLASH MOB!

After the flash mob, we all had some very need (and deserved, I might add) free time! Yay!!! Some shopped, some relaxed with a snack under a market umbrella at one of the many cages on the square, some found the Gummy Bear store, and others went swimming in the eternity pool. After dinner at 7:30, we all returned to our rooms to organize and pack....tomorrow we leave at 8am for the city of Lientz with a matinee performance on top of Kufstein Castle! It can't get any better than this...that's what the kids are telling me :)....and the parents have all confirmed unequivocally that this tour has already FAR exceeded their expectations as the most wonderful experience for their kids AND themselves. Of course, I agree :D....

the view from the eternity pool!

VIDEOS

.........please use this private link to view the Tanzsommer videos I've uploaded to YouTube today (you may have to copy and paste, sorry):
m.YouTube.com/index?desktop_uri=/&gl=US#/home

Gutten tag!