Vaib to the chills: in Gomel megachond of 2,500 artists and space laser show opened “Sozhski Karagod”

September Gomel officially tried on the status of the dance capital! On the main arena of the city - the stadium "Central" - the grand opening of the XII International Festival of Choreographic Art "Sozhsky Karagod" thundered. This is not just a prestigious competition, but a huge creative laboratory where the language of dance erases any borders, uniting countries for the sake of peace, friendship and art.

The festival took over the stadium from the first seconds. The start of the celebration was given by the fascinating prologue “Women are the soul and strength of Belarus”, which plunged the bowl of the stadium into the cosmic atmosphere. High-tech light installations, graphics on screens and powerful laser beams instantly focused the attention of the stands on the field.

Under the shrill words of announcers that a woman is a whole universe, the artists through expressive choreography and original video content told the stories of great compatriots. Entire epochs were brought to life before the bewitched public, from the holy heavenly intercessor of St. Euphrosyne of Polotsk to our inspiring contemporaries. Flashes of light, dynamics of movements and lyrical folk motifs set the highest bar throughout the evening, making the audience explode with applause.

A bright wave of emotions was picked up by charismatic presenters Ekaterina Tishkevich and Valery Danilenko. Their welcoming words, which flew over the crowded stands, immediately set the official start of the celebration and made everyone feel the incredible scale of the event. And there is something to be proud of this year: Sozhsky Karagod confidently beats absolutely all the records of previous years!

Interest in the creative forum was really huge. The organizers shared the figures: 95 creative teams from around the world expressed their desire to become part of the holiday. The competition at the preliminary stage was huge, and as a result of the strictest selection in the second, face-to-face stage, 56 best teams passed.

Such a rigid filter turned Gomel sites into a space for demonstrating benchmark skill and launched a real dialogue of cultures. In one rhythm, numerous talents from the Republic of Belarus, representing the diversity of our national choreography, and an impressive creative delegation from the Russian Federation, were combined. A special color and exotic palette of the holiday was added by colorful artists from far abroad - Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, India and Pakistan.

It is not surprising that the stands of the stadium breathed one hundred percent sold out: all six and a half thousand tickets at the box office were completely sold out long before the cherished day! In total, the history of this festival on the streets of the city was created by about nine thousand guests and participants. Behind the scenes and on the parquet there were serious emotions, because in the choreographic battles both legendary, deserved teams and very young, daring artists came together, for whom this is an unrealistic chance to learn from the best of the best.

On behalf of the leadership of the region, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Dmitry Aleynikov addressed the participants and spectators:

- Today we are reopening the doors for one of the brightest, most beautiful and long-awaited holidays - the International Festival of Choreographic Art "Sozhski Karagod". Over the years, the event has become a beautiful, good tradition. In the list of iconic cultural events of the Gomel region and the whole Republic of Belarus, it rightfully occupies a special, honorable place. Sozhski Karagod is not only a grandiose choreographic festival - the festival opens Gomel to the world, shows our hospitality, rich history and tourist potential, attracting thousands of guests who fall in love with our flowering city above Sozh!

Special emphasis on the international status of the holiday was made in his welcoming speech by the Chairman of the Gomel City Executive Committee Ruslan Parkhamovich. Addressing the stands, he stressed the profound symbolism of the event:

- For a quarter of a century, this festival has become a real cultural bridge between peoples. He long ago crossed the boundaries of the region and gave Gomel the honorary title of the dance capital! During its existence, the forum has gathered hundreds of groups from more than 20 countries of the world, and each time our dance is becoming wider and more versatile. The proof of this is a thousand artists who gave us a unique opportunity to touch the rich heritage of the participating countries through dance. The atmosphere of friendship, peace and understanding that prevails here unites us all. I sincerely thank the organizers, teachers, volunteers and participants for your talent and dedication. I wish the artists an inexhaustible creative fire, and the Gomel residents a sea of impressions!

50,000 kilometers... "Birch" Official speeches smoothly gave way to new surprises. One of the main musical gifts of the evening was the vocal and choreographic composition “Sozhsky Karagod”, which the famous composer Evgeny Oleynik wrote on the poems of Julia Bykova specifically for this forum. Under this exclusive premiere performed by the popular group “Aura” and the honored folk dance ensemble “Polessky Dawns”, the stadium literally sang along with the artists.

The real intrigue before the release of the next team was created by the presenters. They voiced an amazing fact that made the audience hold their breath. Did you know that in all its history, the girls from the ensemble “Birch” have passed the trademark step distance exceeding the length of the Earth’s equator? “Almost 50,000 kilometers of the legendary floating gait!” – announced from the stage. Under a flurry of applause on the field smoothly slid the girl dance of the national heritage of Russia - the State Academic Choreographic Ensemble "Birch" named after N. S. Nadezhdina. It was an incredible, hypnotic spectacle.

Drive and youth energy in the evening added a large-scale flash mob "Kasi Yas Kanyushyn", which brought together hundreds of students of Gomel universities and colleges. In total, in the mass opening scenes, the organizers under the leadership of director Peter Sverdlov involved more than two and a half thousand people. The final chord of this large-scale choreographic avalanche was a grandiose, friendly dance of all participants of the festival.

Such a large-scale finale left absolutely no one indifferent. Leaving the stands, people took with them a part of this holiday. Irina Ksenzova shared her emotions from the long-awaited meeting with the beautiful:

- This is my first time at the festival and I haven’t been able to come before. But when I found out that the ensemble “Birch” would perform, I decided to definitely go. I’ve seen a lot of them on the Internet and wanted to see them live. These are unforgettable impressions! Not at all what is shown on screens - much better and cooler! I myself am also connected with creativity: I graduated from the Vygotsky Pedagogical College, where I received certain skills in the field of dance and art, and now I continue to study at the Skaryna State University in psychology, but I do not leave creativity. I’m so excited about the show, so I’m so excited about it!

For many residents of the city, this large-scale forum has long outgrown the status of a simple cultural event, turning into an important personal and family tradition that connects generations. It was this deep thought voiced by Olga and Maxim Vishnyakov, who came to the opening together with 9-year-old daughter Anastasia:

- We are attending the festival for the third time in a row and each time we take our daughter with us – it is crucial for us to pass on the traditions of our ancestors, show her this beauty and instill respect for our culture from the very childhood. The organization this year is simply at the highest level, much cooler than previous years. The show is memorable for its scale, and, of course, "Birch" made this evening! We were touched to the core by the artistic themes, this deep thread of the prologue dedicated to the Year of the Belarusian woman. Start with the shrine - Euphrosyne of Polotsk - and reach our contemporaries. It's incredibly important! We must honor the legacy we have received and do everything we can to ensure that the next generation preserves it.

While viewers actively share emotions and videos in social networks, the main competition intrigue will be revealed on September 12 at 15:00 on the big stage of the city center of culture. It is there at the gala concert that we finally find out who won the cherished Grand Prix of the festival.