Euro Tour: Part 3
The RWB Company is taking Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet to the stages in Europe with a six week tour of Germany, The Netherlands, and Italy. Follow Katie Bonnell and Ryan Vetter of the Corps de Ballet as they explore Europe!
Missed the other entries? Find them here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 4
Ryan
Checking in about halfway through the European tour! We have finished most of our shows in Germany, and are currently in the Nederlands.
The shows have been going really well! Things were running fairly smoothly, until Sophia rolled her ankle in the middle of our first performance in Schweinfurt. She had to limp offstage and we had to change the casting in the middle of the show. Now, she is back in Winnipeg. I made the joke that it feels like a reality game show, and there will only be a certain number of us by the time we actually come home. All jokes aside, that day was stressful, but everyone is staying healthy and happy.
The streets here are so beautiful, I went out walking a lot by myself (because that’s what I do) and I just love to look at the buildings. Everyone is loving trying the new food. There are so many great restaurants. It’s strange that you have to pay for water at a restaurant, but it doesn’t bother most of us because the beer is cheaper anyway.
The audiences seem to really enjoy the show. The curtain comes in after our normal amount of bows are finished, and it’s clear they are not done clapping, so we open it again and we do a few more bows. It feels really good to get the appreciation from other countries. It makes us feel like superstars!
We are all having a fabulous time representing the RWB abroad! More to come!
Katie
Guten tag from Germany! We have officially been overseas for 3 weeks and are leaving Germany behind to start the Holland phase of our tour. I still can’t quite believe that we are performing in Europe; this has been a dream of mine for years and let me tell you, it has not disappointed me yet. We had a bit of a rocky start with a missed connection and an unexpected stop in England on our way here, but it’s been smooth sailing ever since.
This is my first time travelling to Germany (and Europe in general) so I had no idea what to expect. Here are a few things I’ve noticed that are different here compared to Canada:
1. The hotel beds are tiny!! Maybe this is a Europe-wide phenomenon (I’ll keep you posted), but they feel smaller than a twin. As someone who as a tendency to sprawl and move around a lot in my sleep, not falling out of the bed was my biggest challenge during our first week. 7 hour time difference? Piece of cake! Sleeping? Not so much. I shouldn’t complain; at least I’m not 6’ or taller like some of our male dancers.
2. It is almost impossible to order food at the same time as your drink in a restaurant. Trust me, I’ve tried. Even if you are in a hurry, the majority of places will insist on bringing out your drinks before they take your food order.
3. The food here is amazing so it’s worth waiting for.
4. It is considered rude to ask for tap water. If you want a glass of water with your meal, you have a choice between ordering water with gas or without gas. Translation- still or sparkling.
5. Beer is cheaper than water. Not always, but most of the time. I don’t even drink beer and I noticed this.
6. Café patios are always quite full during the afternoons with people enjoying a coffee or beer and a cigarette, even though it’s only about 10-14 degrees Celsius. Several cafés and restaurants even provide blankets to either sit on or wrap yourself in so you aren’t too cold.
7. (Finally something not related to food culture) German audiences tend to not clap while anything is happening on stage. They wait until the music has stopped or until a dancer is taking a bow after performing a variation. This was a bit strange for us, especially with a show like Moulin Rouge - The Ballet where we love to get the audience going during the can-can scenes, but it’s out of respect for the performers which we can appreciate.
8. The architecture is completely different. Yes, there are certainly some more modern looking buildings here and there, but most of the buildings I’ve seen thus far older and exude the charm of a different era. Apartment buildings have shudders and vines growing up the walls. Shopping centres have stone carvings at the entrance. I’m in love with the architecture here.
The shows are going really well so far and I have loved getting to explore Germany. Stay tuned to see what The Netherlands has in store for us!
