Дата: 28-08-19 16:41

Riga Airport Hosts an Ambitious Dance Performance on the Runway to Celebrate the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Baltic Way

Celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage – a peaceful demonstration called the Baltic Way, on 23 August, Riga Airport presented its country with a special gift – more than 100 dancers performed one of the noblest Latvian national dances on the Airport’s runway.

The Baltic Way took place on 23 August 1989, when two million inhabitants of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia joined their hands connecting the capitals of the Baltic States – Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius – with a 675.5 kilometre long human chain to commemorate the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed on 23 August 1939 between Germany and the USSR, and to support each other in the struggle for the common goal of regaining the independence of the Baltic States. This unprecedented act of non-violent resistance drew worldwide attention to the occupation of the Baltic States and became a symbol of the independence movement.

футболка чер, ретросамолет, keep calmThe dance is Riga Airport's dedication to Latvia on the thirtieth anniversary the Baltic Way, symbolically linking the past and the future and recalling the unity of the three Baltic States, both back then when two million people joined hands to show the world their commitment to regain freedom and today, when the Iron Curtain has long since fallen and Riga, as the central hub for air traffic, connects the Baltics with the whole world.

The dance Gatves deja has been chosen for this unique performance because, as the dancers themselves say, it is the dance of all dances – a very simple and yet the most vivid revelation of the essence of the Latvian national dance. Originally it was a wedding dance, with the majestic stature, the beauty of the national dresses and the nobleness of movements reflecting the promise that a man and a woman give to each other – to make the life noble, beautiful and full of light. Today, Gatves deja conveys a much deeper message, symbolizing the power of people, self-confidence and pride for their homeland, which has allowed the Latvian people to preserve their national values and faith in their country through wars, occupations and deportations.

Four dance groups from the Airport's local community – Mārupe and Babīte – participated in the dance on the runway; they were dressed in the national costumes of the four historical regions of Latvia: Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Latgale and Zemgale. After the performance, the dancers shared their emotions and pride for the opportunity to greet their country on such a special event.

More than 70 Airport employees, almost 20 technical staff of partners and more than 100 dancers and their leaders gave their contribution to this performance. Thanks to careful preparation, rigorous planning and coordinated actions of all the Airport services involved, the performance, including installation of broadcasting and audio equipment, could be prepared in just over half an hour between two flights, without delaying any flight.

The performance was filmed with multiple cameras and also from a drone and was live-streamed in social networks and several major Latvian internet portals. Introductory words were given by Dainis Īvāns, one of the leaders of the Latvian independence movement: “Thirty years ago, when I had the honour to address the human chain of the Baltic nations, I had just turned thirty. Most of these thirty years I had lived in a nation’s prison called the USSR. Latvia’s economy was ruined, we did not own our land, waters or the air space. The Baltic Way was a turning point, a turning point in our hearts, we became determined, brave, we became proud. And it is why today everything in Latvia belongs to us. We can go wherever we want, there is a free Baltic sky above our heads.  Today I am greeting you once again on the runway of the free state of Latvia. We are standing on the Baltic Way, we continue the Baltic Way, and we are still flying towards freedom.”

Almost 100 thousand people have already watched the performance at Riga Airport on Facebook, Youtube and other websites.

The full recording is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydApuKT50Z4

Watch a behind the scenes video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPL58CRMTUs

Performance photos can be downloaded here: https://failiem.lv/u/ju2euare

Press release Riga International Airport


Джерело інформації: Український Авіаційний Портал

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