March, 2006 - Nr. 3

Dick reports...

New Orleans – not under water here!

The GKG Narrhalla 58, Hamilton, recently celebrated the annual costume ball with the theme of "A Night in New Orleans".

The members did their best to dress up in appropriate costumes; some of them were close to perfect.

Attendance was great despite the fact that instead of a band they had a DJ that played exactly what the audience wanted, from traditional New Orleans music to German carnival tunes plus dances, waltzes, oldies and rock’n’roll. All skilfully blended, and the band was not missed at all. The Disk Jockey was David Terryberry, who used to be on Radio (107.9) in the Hamilton area. This was a great idea, it kept the dance floor full all night and saved the club money as well!

To help set the mood, the audience was treated to bead-necklaces in different colours that were thrown down to them from the balcony after the official ‘Einmarsch’. Everyone participated and some of the over 150 guests seemed to end up with more than their share but there were enough since there were about 500 of these available.

The show dance of the dance guard that had a ‘Hawaiian’ theme was a rousing success and greatly applauded. The little Wahinas looked almost authentic with their grass skirts. Congratulations to the dance teacher for coming up with this original concept.

The food service was excellent and some outstanding chill was served as well, much to the delight of the hungry revellers this evening.

Costumes

Some wonderfully appointed costumes were in evidence and sure to be awarded, like 3 a pair of – out of this world - ‘Aliens’ (Eckhard and Christa Kries) that had everyone guessing who was under the mask all night. Of course they were costume prizewinners. Best female costume went to Uschi Schien, the Flower Lady. And yes, the Pirate won a prize too!

Unfortunately I had to leave early in order to make it home safely, because a snowy storm was brewing.
 

The last ‘Hurrah’ – at the Hansa Haus

1. KG Hansa

Members and friends of the 1. KG Hansa celebrated their annual costume ball on the last weekend before Ash Wednesday. This signals the end of the carnival season 2005 – 2006. Unfortunately this was also the "Crazy Ladies" event by the 1. KG Narrenzunft in Kitchener and some of the carnival societies were only able to send a small delegation to this event, or failed to show up at all. Well, you can only dance at one wedding. But I am not going to rant again – I did this in the last issue in February. I would rather focus on the positive – however small – side of our carnival here in Canada. It is a fact that none of us are getting any younger, and young blood is needed to keep "Carnival" – or Mardi Gras – alive a while longer.

The Band

Costumes

Among the guest groups this evening were the KG Loreley. Their brilliant dance guard entertained with a guard dance and a magnificent "Can Can" show dance. These girls mixed very well with the rest of the audience and appeared to have fun. They should have brought some boyfriends with them to have dance partners for themselves.

The Loreley, Oshawa, group has about 45 members in their dance corps from tots to seniors. That is something to be proud of! Kudos also to Holly Henninger for looking after them so well!

I talked to some of the younger male guests who explained that they went out of their way to learn waltzes, polkas and other dances that are classic fare at these events, in order to fit in! Some try, there is hope – albeit very little encouragement from the old-timers.

The Polonaise

Among the other carnival societies that were present or had sent a delegation were the Treue Husaren Toronto, who entertained with a ‘crazy’ band performance, enlisting the help of the ‘Zigeuner’ carnival society – mostly with percussion instruments – that was quite hilarious.

The Treue Husaren Toronto Band

The ‘Ontario Prinzengarde’, from Milton, stood out with their beautiful white uniforms while the KG Hansa sported last years colourful rococo-style uniforms again, very appropriate during the Mozart year.

Costume Parade

and the winners

When the Diane Hunt Club – after the formal dinner at the Hansa Stube was finished upstairs – joined the festivities in the hall, and filled the waiting 5 tables they had reserved downstairs, the house was full. This is also an annual tradition for the hunt club.
 

Crazy Ladies and Clowns…

(All photos by Albert Koch)

…at the "Crazy Ladies" costume ball in Kitchener. The KG Narrenzunft chose "Clowning Around" as theme for this year’s event which was carried out well according to Albert Koch.

Some of the visitors came from Hamilton’s Narrhalla 58 and the KG Ascendia, and Brantford sent the Narragonia contingent.

The Narrhalla had brought their ‘Garde’ girls to entertain the guests with a show dance and the Narrenzunft Concordia featured a junior ‘Funki Solo’ and a ‘Garde Dance’ to the delight of the audience.

Joe Lindlau and the ‘Variations’ enthralled the audience with a number of ‘Schunkellieder’, which were enthusiastically accompanied be many lovers of song in the audience.

But to really know – in your heart and mind – that the carnival season is over, is when you bury the "Hoppeditz" – or some other effigy – on Rose Monday. This is exactly what the Narrenzunft did in the Club’s Schenke on the 27^th of February this year. A dance and "Bütten" speeches plus an address by Armin Hellmann celebrated the demise of the season. A number of regional and city officials as well as the hosts of the radio show at CKPC, Inge & Gerd Brachlow and the Oktoberfest president Henning Grumme witnessed this traditional event.

This year’s ‘Manöverball’ is scheduled for the 8^th of April. Since this is a combined effort of all the dance guards - from ‘Kinder to Seniors’ – at the Germanica Club in Hamilton, no outside participation was invited. There will be enough relatives and groupies available to fill the house!

The next important item on the agenda for our jesters will be the - now annual – "Prinzenball’, but the exact date has not been determined yet. It will most likely be in May again. Keep watching for the advertisement in this paper!

That’s it for the last report of the carnival season. Now we have to suffer through spring and summer again – but don’t worry, November – and a new season - is only seven months away!

As always, with a last Alaaf and Helau for the past season of foolishness and merriment,

Dick Altermann

Comments to: dick@echoworld.com

• New Orleans – not under water here!

• The last ‘Hurrah’ – at the Hansa Haus

• Crazy Ladies and Clowns…

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