Glitz and Glamour at Charles University: the First Republic Returns to Prague ****************************************************************************************** * Glitz and Glamour at Charles University: the First Republic Returns to Prague ****************************************************************************************** On Thursday 27th February 2014, Charles University students stepped back in time at the Fa annual ball, which was held in celebration and commemoration of the First Republic of Czec covering the period of 1918-1938. Complete with a swing and jazz band and a dance floor re we headed out to the fancy dress shops and slipped on the suits and flapper dresses… The formal dance was one of many held by the university and is a yearly occurrence with th attending including students, guests and teachers. This year’s however, was a little bit s the trend of fascination with the First Republic found in Czech television, theatre, magaz particular films, good examples of still regularly screened movies from the 1930s being Kr Hlouposti and Dívka v Modrém. More recently the First Republic has attracted humongous aud highly-acclaimed TV series První Republika (which has been compared to the British Downton I’m sure readers will recognise from billboard and metro advertisements around the city. I foreign students living in the Czech Republic to look up these fairy-tale television drama can find them online) of family and romanticism or to have a read of the current, interest features wistfully telling stories about the First Republic’s development, creativity and It’s a part of Czech history that I believe we all as cultural visitors should endorse our of these media commentaries mirror the rose-tinted gaze that Czechs often have of this per expression, sharp suits, pearls and prosperity in the 1920s and early 1930s. We were lucky this brought back to life again for students and staff at Charles University at the ball, at the neo-Renaissance style Rudolfinum Music Hall and Gallery on Jan Palach Square next t of Arts main building; home of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and to hundreds of high-pr shows every year. The venue was packed with chattering students hurrying up the stairs to the dance floor an around socialising and drinking in elegant cocktail dresses, head pieces and kitten heels. ceilings had fantastic acoustics for the music, which carried itself through the lengths o and greeted us at the door with the sounds of saxophone, clarinet and guitars. We were ver have the Felix Slováček Big Band performing, who are led by Felix Slováček, a famous Czech saxophonist and clarinet player from Zlín, who has sold over two milion albums during his musician, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s. The well-known touring band were charis played effortlessly all night – I was also told that their crammed performing schedule and Charles University little chance of securing a booking, so we were very priviledged to hav The Rudolfinum Gallery was just as magnificent outside as it was inside – towering hand-pa marble pillars, wide red carpeted stairs and classic gold and bronze tinted décor. We trul travelled thanks to the efforts that guests made to dress up and look the part. The famed who played a mixture of genres to the expected ballroom jigs, were the finishing touch to setting and an all-round lively evening, keeping everyone on their feet until the early ho 7, the bars had their work cut out serving thousands of guests Czech beer, wine and shots was fragmented well with the commentating of a humorous announcer who welcomed, entertaine various dance contests. There was also a raffle and strips of tickets could be bought by g of winning gifts and a top prize of a holiday for two to Italy. The atmosphere was inviting, with undercurrents of nostalgia towards a time of sweetness g prospect in the newly founded state of Czechoslovakia; mostly because of the energy of the dance floor, where Czech and Slovak students demonstrated their skills and endurance. Most ready with a dance partner glued to their arm and managed to impress everyone with their e agility. This however shouldn’t be any surprise, since that most Czech and Slovak people a traditional formal dances from a young age, and it is an expected and widespread ability. pleasantly surprised, and regarded this to be a very unique and special corner of Czech ed knowledge that is very rare in Britain and other Western European countries, where there’s much emphasis or value placed on such traditional or national hobbies. Regardless, we made salsa, cha-cha, waltz, tango, foxtrot, rumba, jive and polka, but sadly didn’t compete to the Czechs. The party continued after midnight at the K4 student bar and café at the Charles Universit Celetná, where we boogied with cheap beer to some salsa/latino/jazz mixes and rested our s on the sofas. It was a social and memorable night, perfectly themed and a superb opportuni students dressed a bit swankier than in their 9am lectures. Most importantly, it was wonde bask in and relive their heritage, past and traditions, and a window for us Erasmus studen learn and enjoy it too. The classiness did slip slightly at the end of the night however, when Prague city saw a w spill out from the venues, carrying their shoes (and often their dance partners) home with stomach full of wine… a success, then! Poppy Gerrard-Abbott is an Erasmus student studying BA write for the iForum to build on her journalism skills Czech culture and life in Prague through attending loc Poppy saw the iForum as an exciting opportunity to pur fun experience that has brought some exciting opportun offer such placements to future students.