Dick reports...

CARAVAN – sort of…

…at the Donauschwaben Club!

Well, our Danube-Swabian compatriots have not forgotten the fun and glamour of the defunct CARAVAN festivities, so popular in the past.

They have tried one of their own, and called it “Sommerfest”.

All the important elements were still there, the tasty variety of delicious food – one of the favorites being the cabbage rolls – the large selection of baked goods, the many beverages and, of course, the entertainment and the customary “Trachten”, the traditional local costumes and dresses from their “Heimat”, their place of origin in Europe.

First there was welcoming address by Joe Folk, the club’s president and an introduction of Lorie Szauter, the dance teacher and general manager of the Youth Group, who explained that they were featuring the three youngest groups. In the beginning all the children assembled in front of the stage to introduce themselves and who then sang a number of German folk songs, conducted by Ingrid Szauter and her guitar.

Folk dances

Then followed three sets of folk-dances by each of the three groups. It was a real pleasure to watch the youngest ones go through their routines trying to match the expertise of the slightly older dancers - with equal seriousness of purpose. The audience just loved them!

Autographs from Stephen Weiss

During the first intermission a rare guest was introduced. It was 27 year old Stephen Weiss, who is number 9 with the “Florida Panthers “– NHL – Hockey team. He comes from original ‘Danube-Swabian’ stock and is one of only two team members that are under 6 feet tall. (He is 5’11’’). Another interesting fact is that this ‘Forward’ is leading with 60 points – 28 goals & 32 assists – and is right there on top of the heap! Of the twenty active members of the US team only 2 were born in the United States. Where are the others from, you ask? Well, two are from Russia, another four from Czechoslovakia, one from Austria and eleven (11) from Canada. You can check it out on their website! Stephen spent a good deal of time talking to many of the audience and was signing autographs on some of the photos he had brought along. Very personable and down-to-earth! It’s no wonder that he was first round draft choice by the Panthers in 2001.

The Maibaum Dance
Dances to greet spring and summer

The next round of dances was a repeat of the first gig and just as much appreciated as the first set. The kids however seemed a bit more antsy and harder to control. Well, after all that waiting between sets who could blame them. But it was great fun anyway and greatly appreciated by the audience.

The Euro Connection

In the evening the Euro Connection provided the necessary ‘Rhythms’ to fill the dance floor.

As always

Dick Altermann