On the second weekend in November (8.11.2024 – 10.11.2024), the Werner siblings (Sophie, Louisa, Friedrich and Carl) organised a weekend where 80 guests from Germany, France, Switzerland, England and Poland came together to learn the classic knot dance and exchange ideas by dancing together.
The guests were a diverse group of friends from different stages of life. The aim was to get to know new young people from all over Europe, who brought with them a wide variety of professional backgrounds, cultural influences and perspectives on life, in order to exchange ideas and learn from each other.
This weekend in Morawa – a place where family memories and a festive atmosphere come alive – made the event something very special. The high motivation of the guests was also reflected in their willingness to travel: together they invested around 1,300 hours of travelling to experience this weekend. The Hedwig Foundation already supports German-Polish youth encounters – so why not also the German-French-English-Polish encounters? (D-F-E-P)?
The participants arrived on Friday afternoon and started the first dance evening after dinner together. The music went on until around 2.00 a.m., as they wanted to be fit for the dance course (in English) the next morning.
On Saturday, two parallel dance classes started at 11.00 am: one for beginners and one for advanced dancers. Even experienced dancers were able to learn new steps, which the dance teacher introduced. In the afternoon, there was a short walk around the international equestrian centre ‘Morawa’. This was followed by a game of parlour games before the final evening began.
After the stylish dinner, the dance hall was transformed into an energetic stage. The atmosphere was great and everyone, whether professionals or beginners, tried their hand at classic knot dancing. The dancing went on until the early hours of the morning.
On Sunday, everyone enjoyed a sumptuous hangover breakfast, exchanged contacts and discussed the event before travelling home and returning to their different lives. The dance weekend in Morawa was a complete success and will live long in the memory of everyone involved! The event shows how cultural encounters on an international level can promote exchange and create lasting community.
