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| Istanbul: International dance competition. Georgians. |
On my last night in Istanbul, I walked over to the park next to Sultanahmet Square for a last inhalation of culture. No, that's a lie. There's a McDonald's nearby and I knew I wouldn't be going to McD's when I returned to Missouri. So that was my final dinner in Istanbul. That sounds backwards, but it's the reality.
And you know what's interesting? McDonald's is one of the few restaurants in Istanbul that employs women to serve the public directly, alongside men. Kudos to McDonald's. Red River Restaurant was another one.
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| Istanbul: International dance competition. Turks. |
But that's not what this post is about. It's about the serendipitous international dance competition that was about to start when I walked by the park stage. I found a seat on a rock next to the bleachers, and damned if I didn't see Georgian-garbed kids sitting in the stands. Two troupes, one from Batumi and one from Tbilisi, were to perform along with Turkish, Romanian, Ukrainian, and I forget what other representatives.
I saw some modern elements that I hadn't seen before in Georgia, in which the girls got to do some really cool stuff like the boys.
The Georgians blew the audience away, although the Ukrainian dancers were a heartbeat away in their gymnastic abilities.
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| Istanbul: International dance competition. Ukrainians. |
A slide show:
It was fitting to end my time in Istanbul with a Georgian send-off.
2 comments:
Tony and I also came across this dance festival (I happened to spot a gogo in costume in the park and got wayyy too excited) and came back for the final on Wednesday night. The Georgian teams won 1st AND 2nd place! Ukraine took 3rd. The crowd was nuts for them. It is my favorite memory of Istanbul so far. (We're not in love with the city yet, either.)
-Alicia
That is so cool! Bravo!
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