Etnolocation

Whereas bats and whales locate each other through echoes reverberating through an oceanic surround, Latvians just send out smells of sausage and sauerkraut, and the hoardes quickly descend.

Case in point: Our own fair home town at the beginning of July - host to Canada's 13th Latvian song and dance festival!

First, Mudzuks prepares backstage and then belts her little heart out in the opening concert:


Meanwhile, Vecais checks out the translocated Laima's clock - and then makes a quick escape -- into or out from?-- the rooftop beer garden.



Nan and Mudzuks rocking out in the "Omama's Dance" during the New Choreographies competition (they got an honourable mention as audience's favourite):

Next, the All-Choirs' Concert with the brilliantly acoustics of Hamilton Place :

(note Kristina among the singers fixing her headgear)


That's better!

And Mamuks finally got to listen to the singing (instead of insistant complaints that "singing is boring" once M & V both found a comfortable enough position to sleep. (Dz Dz, randomly seated beside us, got a firsthand account of M&V at their whiny best - not even offers of candy from stangers did much to appease them)


And afterwards, while V waxes lyrical with Korijs about the fantastic arrangment and riveting conducting, M just wants to get the heck out of there.

Lastly, highlights from the Folkdance Extravaganza:

Eager specatators and gorgeously staged live music:

Mudzuks and her partner Kaiva spent most of their time in the limelight arguing about who had to be the "boy":

"Budeli," shadow dancers and fancy footwork:

the Grand Finale:

And lastly, three spectral apparitions disappearing through the bowels of the colliseum, leaving the ghosts of another song festival to await their next resurrection...