THE SLOVENIA CHRONICLES

TRIGLAV VISITS SLOVENIA AND

THE FOLKLORE GROUP MANDRAČ-TELMONT

PART TWO

By Bryen Lebar

Piran

Impressions of Tourists towns in General

The tourist buses and boats pull into the port. Out from their bellies rushes an army of hungry mouths, eyes and ears, eating up everything the town has to offer and even something that it tries not to sell, like its dignity. But dignity is hard to hold on to when the crowds are hungry for your soul. They want a piece of it without really knowing why. And if they get it or feel like they have it, the town becomes theirs. They become the ones who give the town its life, its energy and the town loses what it is and becomes what others want.

The Performance

She stands across the street from the main square, waiting. It is Piran and it is the first performance of the tour. She stands waiting and her mind is filled with a million whirling thoughts and then it is calm and then whirling again. She has imagined this moment many times. Through the years of practice and rehearsal and the anticipation of this moment she was ready. Nervous, excited yes, but also ready. She tries to listen to the Town Crier as he reads out the week's activities. He is dressed in sixteenth century garb with a long maroon velvet gown and a matching floppy hat.

She looks around the square and sees that the square is full of people even though it is unseasonably cold. Her teeth are chattering a little but she is not sure if it is because of the harsh wind coming off the sea just in front of her or if it is the tension of the moment. It is her first time in this country, the home of her parents and the source of the culture she is now celebrating.

She hears the words Canada and Winnipeg and she knows it is time to walk across the road and into the town square of Piran. It is all too much. Tears well up in her eyes, the emotion of the moment finally catching up with the reality of it all. The practicing was over, the waiting was over. This was it.

The introduction had ended and the applause rang loud as she strode with pride into the center of everything she had dreamt about.

The Boy

He stands ready. His hand holding on tightly to his partner's hand. He can feel the sweat even though it is cold. He takes a quick look down to check his boots. They are clean and shiny. He doesn't know why but he always liked the look of the high black boots.

He looks around and listens to the language that may have been foreign once but now has a familiar ring. He does not understand everything but the sounds flow easily into his ear. He recognizes the name of his group and knows he is about to go on.

He looks down at his partner as they lock arms and walk into the square. It all fits just fine he thinks to himself. They exchange smiles and he knows everything will be perfect.

The Teacher

The tape is ready. The sound man knows his cue. She paces slowly between the dancers and the sound system. Her arms are wrapped around herself as if bracing against something more than the cold wind.

The dancers stand in a tight circle waiting to go on. There are bouts of laughter and then silence as each one prepares for the performance. She watches them. Watching for signs of anxiety, nervousness and a little panic. She sees all of that but only in healthy doses. She thinks of all the preparation. Have I thought of everything? Have we done it right? The same questions she has asked herself for most of her creative life. Except this time she knew she would get an answer.

Her thoughts are intruded on by the familiar sound of her hometown's name. The dancers fall into line. She faces them. "You'll be great!" Her heart begins to overflow with satisfaction and pride when she sees only smiling faces and tears of joy as they move by her and into the square.

On to Part Three

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