Turnfest Gala
Some of us would call this the Opening
Ceremony. But, that is not
correct, there actually is an event called the Opening Ceremony.
This year it involved a terrific laser and fireworks show down by
the Main
River.
You can see the show from both sides of the river on YouTube.
The videos are about 8 minutes long and you may need a broadband
connection.
In its own right, the Turnfest Gala is
also quite a show. The
emphasis is heavy on many varieties of Gymnastics.
Mixed in with music and dance, there were routines performed on
the trampoline, wheels, high bar, rings, trapeze and groups doing
rhythmic gymnastics and gymnastic ballet.
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| About two dozen youngsters performed together doing
flairs and helicopters on mushroom shaped apparatus near the beginning
of the program. It was quite
a sight and they received much deserved applause from the audience. |
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| The Japanese gymnasts had their own show which took
place another evening at the Turnfest.
The four tiers Pyramid was their climax to a very unusual and
entertaining segment of this Gala. |
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| A highlight of the Gala was the interview and high bar
performance of Fabian Hambuschen.
Fabi is the current German master gymnast and you can see why if
you view his routines on YouTube. |
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The Finale took place among an
abundance of colorful confetti and ticker tape while all the performers
returned to the floor, stage and trapeze.
It was a terrific show.
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Stadion Gala - (Closing Ceremony)
Of the four German Turnfests I have seen, for me, this Closing Ceremony
was the best. It had to be
something very special to out-do the others but simply put, it was
spectacular. Right from the
start something was always grabbing your attention.
There were many groups of all ages, in various, rich and colorful
costumes, all having specific tasks and routines.
Even the electronic scoreboard and 4 sided video at the top of
the arena added to the color and function of the show.
It all worked together to make this a thoroughly enjoyed
experience.
I’m guessing, but the theme appeared to be based on a collection of
Grimm brother’s fairy tale characters.
The Grimm brothers were born and lived for a while in
Hanau, a town just north of Frankfurt
and the surrounding area has many of the towns contained in their
stories. The Grimm brothers
mean much more to Germany
than just being the collectors and transcribers of legends, sagas and
fairy tales. They were
instrumental in consolidating the German language which enabled the many
separate states to come together to form a united country.
Struwwel, a modern adaptation of the unkempt character created by
Frankfurt native Heinrich Hoffmann, played a relatively
minor role in the Gala compared to his importance as this Turnfests
official mascot. |
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| As we entered the stadium, before the show really started, all four
corners of the stadium had similar scenarios already in action.
Children in white lazed on the
ground reading books while nearby, some gymnastic equipment was already
in place. Very soon elves
entered and cavorted idly as the remaining time to start ticked by on
the four sided video screen at the very top of the stadium.
A “Princess” in pink strolled regally around the field and men on
stilts, dressed in black handed out goodies to the white clad
youngsters. From this quiet
beginning, the action built as more characters and groups entered,
stories developed and gymnastic routines were performed by German
masters. Many times the show
was more like a 3-ring circus where your attention is directed several
places at once. It was easy
to miss a lot of the action if you were intent on taking photos. |
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| Near the start of the program, the screech of a live eagle was
heard. Indeed, two eagles
flew around the arena and landed in the center of the field on their
trainer’s shoulder. The
eagle is the symbol of Frankfurt. |
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Introducing the various stages of the show, a
bare-chested man moved out onto the field twirling lit torches.
When he approached the high solitary unlit torch, he exhaled a
ball of fire and lit it.
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| There were several flag bearers with fast moving platforms
resembling bell shaped hoop skirts.
No tell-tale body movement was detected to indicate how they
steered as they zipped around the field.
I’m still wondering just how they did it. |
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| In a calmer moment, Angela Merkle, Chancellor of Germany, spoke to
the audience receiving great applause and loud cheers as she
complimented the Turners and wished them well for their next Turnfest in
Heidelberg.
Also speaking, though very close to the end of the show, was the
Mayor of Frankfurt, Petra Roth and President of
the German Turners, Rainer Brechtken.
They too received the much deserved appreciation for their
efforts in making this show and Turnfest a spectacular success. |
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| I still regret is missing the final few moments of the show.
We were already outside the stadium and hurrying to our trolley
to avoid the commuter crush when a tremendous cheer came from inside the
stadium. The stadium had a
covered top, so large rockets could be ruled out.
I have seen a few photos that show the heart that was formed by
the women in red burning with hand-held tube flares.
Another photo shows the arena inundated with the ticker-tape
confetti that was launched in waves from the top of the stadium.
I am still looking for something posted on YouTube and will link
to it if it is found. |
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