Saturday meetings with team leaders

THE FESTIVAL OF THE CHILDREN OF MOUNTAINS is the kind of event that - like a custard puff pastry or an onion - has several layers. The most visible one, or official - one might say - obviously comprises today’s holy mass, the parade, the inauguration in the Old Market Square, the everyday concerts in the Amphitheatre... somewhat more hidden are meetings such as the one at the Town Hall on Sunday afternoon. One of those least visible ones, and yet included in the programme, is the evening - or actually night - tour of all the ensembles’ accommodation places.

This year, the first place visited by the SOKÓŁ minibus was the hall of residence in Stary Sącz. There, we were greeted by the leaders of the MISINA FOLK DANCE ENSEMBLE from Hungary, of MALI LIPNICZANIE, and of the hosts of this year's Festival - MAŁE NISKOWIOKI. Everyone was waiting for the ensemble from Colombia - COMPAÑÍA INFANTIL ESCUELA DE DANZA FUNZA, who, having overcome the usual airports problems, had just set off from Cracow Balice Airport.

At the Jan Długosz Secondary High School no. 1 dormitory in Nowy Sącz we met the representatives of ZBYRCOCEK and ANSAMBL TOSKA - DETSKO STUDIO from Macedonia.

The final leg of the overnight journey was the student hostel of the University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Sącz. There, the organisers had an opportunity to talk to ZASADNIOKI, MALI WIYRCHOWIANIE as well as the DFS OMLADINKA ensemble from the Czech Republic. The COMPAÑÍA FOLCLÓRICA SUEÑOS Y SEMILLAS ensemble from Costa Rica were still on their way to Nowy Sącz.

During those evening meetings the ensemble leaders get to know Andrzej Zarych, the director of SOKÓŁ Małopolska Cultural Centre, his deputy Piotr Gąsienica, Monika Kurzeja, who manages the Festival’s organisational office, Krzysztof Trebunia-Tutka, who serves as the emcee of the concerts in Nowy Sącz, Patryk Rutkowski, the concert director, Piotr Droździk, our photographer who keeps circulating around the gathered, and the writer of these words. 

That is also the time when the ensembles find out what their role will be during the ecumenical mass on Sunday evening, what the parade and the inaugural concert will look like, how the ensembles will be able to get to the Town Hall to meet with the local authority representatives, and what they should bring. 

However, the most important words seem to be those spoken by Piotr Gąsienica, who informs the ensembles about safety, responsibility for children's health, the ban on substances, etc.

The atmosphere during those evening meetings is quite unusual. It derives from the nascent comradeship - the very essence of the FESTIVAL OF THE CHILDREN OF MOUNTAINS. This is reflected in the sounds of music, singing in Polish and in the languages of those “invited” to this year's Festival, shared dancing, and conversations in which gestures are often more important than words...

The final part of this tour, which stretched late into the night, was the welcoming of the Costa Rican ensemble. Although the clock had long since struck 10 pm, it was hard to protest against the Długosz Street resounding with joyful calls from those tumbling out of the bus after a long journey from another children's festival in Romania, and against the shouts of joy given by the Costa Ricans’ Polish comrades from the balconies.