Šluskolona

There are a lot of wonderful things about living in Czech, and we just experienced another one of them this week-end.

In nearly every city across the country, dance lessons are offered to high school students, particularly in the second year of high school. It's something that is sponsored by the city, so there are students from various high schools who gather together on Friday nights to learn how to dance.

I love driving in Frydlant on Fridays around 5 PM! Kids are walking from all corners of town towards the cultural center, dressed in suits and ties and pretty dresses. You can't show up for the lessons in jeans and a t-shirt!

While they're mainly there to learn to fox trot, cha cha and tango, among other dances, they're also being instructed in proper cultural etiquette. I think that's so cool!

Caleb and his friend from youth group, Kača, were dance partners for this fall's classes. Every Friday night Caleb got his suit on and headed into town with everyone else for the week's lesson.

An hour and forty five minutes later, he'd be ready to come home, with another dance learned! Honestly, I don't think I could learn those dances that fast!

Twelve weeks later, with ten dances ready to be performed, the "Šluskolona" begins! Parents and friends come to the cultural house and are seated at tables around the dance floor. In walk the dancers, dressed in gorgeous ball gowns and handsome suits and ties, ready to show off what they've learned.

It was a two and a half hour program, interspersed with their dances, a professional dance couple's performance, and traditional gift giving where guys give the girls flowers and a gift, and girls give the guys a handkerchief and a gift. A nice tradition!

We had a great time watching Caleb, and all the other kids that we knew there. And were very impressed by what they all had learned in twelve weeks!