Clubbing
Kinder Fest

Going to the local club is for many as natural as it is for others to participate in a daily workout. This was especially true for the past decades and after so many immigrants came from overseas after WWII. The scene has changed somewhat, because the originally driving forces of postwar years are getting on and are largely diminished in numbers. Their children do not often participate to the same degree their parents did. They feel they are Canadian and want to fit in and have assimilated themselves into the local Canadian culture. A few times a year they enjoy coming to the club to celebrate German customs with their families. Christmas is of course one occasion and Easter is another.

While we have brought you stories of these festivities in the past we still feel that it is worthwhile to do so again. We get to see who had children and how they have grown. It is simply wonderful to observe several generations together in one room. On occasion we have seen 4 generation around one table.

Kinder Fest

On the afternoon of May 1^st, when in other places like Germany labor marches mark the day the Hansa House was filled with many dozens of children of all sorts of ethnic backgrounds for a Kinder Fest, which has been a tradition there for many years now.

Children want to participate

The festivities are organized by the Weiss-Blau Bayern Junior Schuhplattlers, with a little help from their senior members, no doubt. Four other youth groups were invited to participate: The Donauschwaben Club’s Junior Tanzgruppe, the K.G. Loreley Dancers, Oshawa; the Shiamak Davar International (Bollywood Jazz)- Toronto and the Club Hispano Dancers-Toronto.

To start with there was a marching in ceremony with introductions and welcoming speeches by the powers that are. An exciting moment arrived when Reiner Walter delivered a cheque for a thousand dollars to the Weiss-Blau Juniors from the Bingo operation of the club.

The Weiss-Blau Bayern Juniors

Then the dancing started: The Weiss-Blau Juniors performed first followed by The Loreley Kindertots, the Club Hispano and then all groups together did a fun Zillertaler dance together. I can still hear the rhythmic sound: rata rata rata rataratarattata…and so on…. What an earworm!

Schuhplattlern, alltogether now

During the following intermission lots of tickets were sold for a massive raffle/Tombola, while Peter Lamprecht played the accordion. A second set of dances proved to be very exciting.

After the Danube Swabians had danced and the Lorely Kinders too, the Shiamak Davar International Dancers filled the hall with sheer endless energy Bollywood style and even invited all groups afterwards to participate in a dance lesson .That was amazing to watch.

The Loreley Kindertots
The Loreley Junior Guard
The Club Hispano
Dances by the Danube Swabian Youth
Shiamak Davar International Dancers

Once again, when attending such an event, I feel assured that the German culture in Canada is in good hands and will not die out so soon. The Weiss-Blau Bayern and the other German groups are certainly doing their part in keeping the traditions alive with wholesome activities that children can benefit from. Belonging to a dance group beats hanging out at a mall and the smallest of children learn to be and function with others. This way discipline comes in the guise of fun!

Until next time

Sybille Forster-Rentmeister

Introducing the Shiamak Davar dance style