Tuesday, June 22, 2010

My older kids aren't the only ones getting public attention.
The twins are getting lots of press lately, too.

First, there was their fleeting (but impactful!) appearance on the national news here in France.

And now just yesterday, their dance recital Saturday night was covered in "Le Dauphiné Libéré" It's a newspaper filled with tons of regional news- there's plenty of accounts of village jumble sales and church choir concerts......but this was INTERESTING:
Mallory didn't make it into any photos, but Alexa is not hard to spot. She's the gorgeous one right in the center of the trio in the lower right photo. (I know you can't see well, but trust me-she's gorgeous!)

Here's the short article in a rough translation:
There was a crowd at the Chateau Rouge attending a recital of the ballet school association of Annemasse, given by Pirouette Dance School (located in Fillinges). On stage, several scenarios were created by Corinne C. with the theme "Our Hippie Years". It was a return to the 1970's organized around the songs and music of Gainsbourg, Bardot, ...(etc...)... A remarkable and notable evening.

Weird theme for the show, non?

I have to admit that it was pretty funny sometimes. For example, at one point, all the children came on the stage, waved their arms and started singing the old Baez song "Here's to You":

"Here's to you, Nicola and Bart
Rest forever here in our hearts

The last and final moment is yours

That agony is your triumph "
they warbled cheerfully.

Why anyone would think it was apt for a bunch of French children to sing a tribute song to two anarchists executed in the USA in 1927 is anybody's guess...

I know it was popular in 1971, but so were many other songs...
How about "Joy to the World"? It's cute and contains no mention of "agony". Just frogs and fish. And kids like animals, right?

Or "Proud Mary"? That's a classic.

Anything would have been better, really...

Just not "Mr. Bojangles".
I HATE that song with a passion most people reserve for Nazi war crimes. It's one of those songs that makes me reach out and switch off the radio so fast that I'm in danger of fracturing my wrist.
Also "I Shot the Sheriff".

5 comments:

Diane said...

Sounds like lots of fun and great to have your kids pictures in the paper. Let them see them when they grow up to bring back all the memories. Diane

Joy said...

"Artistic" song choices for dance recitals always amuse me. From the ones you've pointed out, to preschoolers dancing to the Chipmunks version of "All the Single Ladies". I just shake my head, usually, and remember my own reluctant jazz ensemble performance to Michael Jackson's "Black or White". *shudder*

oreneta said...

I found myself singing 'if I had a million dollars' at class today while teaching conditionals...it's a great song!

Momma Bee said...

TRUE Joanie fans know that, while that song is almost unknown in the US, it has been one of her biggest hits in Europe for many years, and that she closes every European concert with it as a singalong. Ah, but you are so young. Our hippie years. I was there... (Now we share our "hippy" years...)

Proudly, I can also sing the entire Barenaked Ladies songbook as well as everything by Hoyt Axton.

As to your lovely girls and their budding stardom, I must shockingly quote "Mary Poppins Returns" by saying "My, dems some mighty white children!"

Beth said...

You may have something there. In my first attempt at translating on the fly, I did spell it "hippy". It's a miracle I proofread and caught it before publishing....

But I WAS there. Just very young and the hippie thing didn't interest me. I was all about the white vinyl gogo boots my Grandma bought for me. I thought I was the coolest six year old of 1971!

As for the "tone" of the affair...there was exactly ONE black girl, ONE Asian girl and ONE redhead. That's all the color I got for you.