New Year's Eve

"PartySlava" is the slogan to attract visitors to the New Year's Eve celebrations in the center of Old Town. For the last few days, I have noticed an unusual number of tour groups walking around Old Town, especially many groups of college-age students. I don't know if they are here for New Year's celebrations or just the usual stop-over on their way to/from Prague-Vienna-Budapest.

The crowds in the early evening included lots of young families. Unlike Times Square, it was possible for ordinary people to walk around and enjoy the sights. This is a shot of the food stands re-opened after the Christmas market, with the Opera House in the background.

Hviezdoslavovo námestie is the location of a large band shell erected yesterday for concerts this evening. Another has gone up over on the adjoining Main Square. Different musical groups took turns performing all evening. Here's a short clip of some very young children performing Slovak folk songs with a lot of help from some older musicians.

Here's another video clip of the plaza, this one taken from the front entrance to the historic Opera House. That music in the background is a Mexican mariachi band taking its turn on the stage. It did not have quite the authenticity I hear in southern California, but heh, it's cold here!

For my New Year's Eve excitement, I saw a program of five short new contemporary ballets, Bolero and more, at the Historic Opera House. It was a festive evening, with free champagne at the intermission and even door prizes. After the intermission, the new company director "choreographed" a brief ballet for the audience to perform while seated, filled with arm-waving, thigh-slapping, and clapping. What a hoot for the cultural elite in evening finery. The Ballet's web site for the new ballets, with photos, is here: http://www.snd.sk/?ballet&predstavenie=bolero-a-viac

Here's my shot of the final curtain calls from Bolero, which uses a chess-game motif.

After the ballet, I heard another band in a rousing rendition (in English) of the Village People's "Y.M.C.A.," but I didn't get my camera out in time to record it. I gather that fireworks were set off over the Danube at midnight, but I didn't have the stamina to brave the crowds and the cold, so I settled for hearing them.

Happy New Year, everybody!

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