Prom - Salagavato

Last weekend was one filled with energy and excitement.  Friday night was the practice for the prom.  When I say “prom” it’s nothing like what you are picturing.  It’s a huge ceremony followed by dance performances and THEN a dance for the kids.  Friday was the “dress rehearsal.”  Let me back up a bit… the prom ceremony is actually a “ribbon pinning” ceremony.  Each school leaver (senior) is given a ribbon that says the years that they were in school at Eötvös.  This is a very formal ceremony – there were poems, the national anthem (still the most morbid song I have ever heard) and speeches by teachers and the Headmistress.  After the ribbon pinning, the kids went out of the gym and changed into their respective clothes.  Each class (12A, 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E and 13A and 13G) did a class dance, and there were three waltzes performed.  By class dance, they chose their music and performed a hip hop type dance.  There was “Cotton Eye-Joe,” Abba songs, Michael Jackson and some hip hop mixes.  The dances were altered class dance, waltz, class dance, waltz etc.  Each senior HAS to participate in their class dance, but they are not obligated to waltz.  The waltzes were some of the most impressive things I have seen high schoolers do.  On top of their studies and all the other “trainings” they have, they practiced two dances with a choreographer that they paid.  It was truly an amazing sight – and it was only the practice day!