Opening Day Festivities - Parade Day!

This morning was the beginning of the Festival in the town square of Ciudad Real! Donning our solo dresses and soft shoes, we gathered in the lobby of our residence with the other groups: Germany, Honduras, Slovakia, and Russia. We made a lot of new friends and took pictures together as we compared costumes and hairstyles. Everyone walked together as we paraded through the town square. The musicians from each country strolled along and played inviting music for us to dance! We were all given a delightful chance to practice our Spanish skills by saying "Hola!" and "Buenos dias!" to audience members during the parade. Our group interacted with the locals, and they very much appreciated our costumes. We did a short performance of Encore, Step About, Girls' Slip Jig, and a Reel number near an outdoor restaurant. After the performance we socialized with the audience as they asked about our hair, dresses, makeup, and shoes.

Next, we went to visit the Mayor of Ciudad Real along with the other countries and a group from Madrid. There we held a ceremony in which the head of the Festival explained a little bit about each country. Each band played a song as two members from each country presented the Mayor with a gift. Victoria and Tyler gave the gift and interacted with the Mayor for a while after the ceremony.

Now we are back in our rooms, getting ready to eat and take a short siesta! Can't wait for the rest of the day's festivities! We're having so much fun and miss you all!

Love,
Rachel, Lauren, and Olivia Hare