ruth901
The active group of the Schlitzerland Traditional Costume and Folk Dance Circle (TVK) spent an entertaining weekend with 28 participants in Kemzeke, Belgium.
Schlitz/Kemzeke – The place is located in the municipality of Stekene in the province of East Flanders, not far from Sint-Niklaas, and is characterized by a quiet, rural environment in which smaller towns and settlements line up almost seamlessly.
The host was the folk dance group “Reintje Vos”, which has been dedicated to cultivating traditional Flemish dances for many years. The name refers to the well-known fox figure from Flemish mythology – a symbol of cleverness and cunning. Appropriately, the fox motif was omnipresent throughout the entire stay and shaped the image of the event and the clubhouse.
TVK active group visits dance friends in Belgium
There is already a long-standing connection between the two groups: 29 years ago, a youth group… TVK, which organizes the famous traditional costume festivalvisiting Belgium. After that, the contact was dormant for many years before it could now be revived again. The “Reintje Vos” group has already been represented several times in Germany, including in Lauterbach, Schenklengsfeld, Salzkotten and Groß-Umstadt.
The visit began with a sociable evening in the clubhouse, where participation dances quickly created an open and relaxed atmosphere and made it easier to get to know each other. The following day we went on a trip to the nearby city of Ghent. There, the group gained insights into the history of the region during a tour of Grafenstein Castle, before a boat tour through the historic city center gave a further impression of the city.
The program also included a reception by the mayor and entertaining competitions to determine a May King. The traditional May celebration is an integral part of the event calendar of the “Reintje Vos” group in Kemzeke. The expulsion of winter is symbolized by the burning of a straw doll. The setting up of the decorated maypole and the subsequent ribbon dance around the tree are also part of the traditional process.
At the end, the May King chose his queen of hearts and the batons of the previous couple were ceremoniously handed over. Subsequent performances in the cultural center, where the groups involved the audience with their dances and subsequent participation dances, made the Schlitzerlanders sweat quite a bit.
In addition to the official program, the focus was primarily on personal exchange. The TVK chairwoman Sonja Strich took the opportunity to say goodbye and invited a delegation to the 100th anniversary of the TVK next year in May. (asr)
