Dance4Life Event, Germany 2006
German students perform with Royston Maldoom
In Germany, the Dance4Life event had its own, unique programme: with incredible dedication, hundreds of students had devoted almost all of their free time over the last few weeks to rehearse their own on-stage dance performance. The following report was written by Rupert, from Dance4Life IST, who was at the Event in Bremen.
 The Event took place in the Mercedes-Benz Kundencenter in Bremen, with an huge atrium and an even larger hall with a stage where all the performances took place. There were Dance4Life banners that the young people had made themselves hanging everywhere.
Schools Dance Performances.It started with several groups from different schools performing their own dances on stage, along with an amazing percussion group of other students. All the other youth stayed and watched these performances, and applauded every one. The climax of the schools' performances were the hundred students, who staged The Tryst, a modern piece they had rehearsed for a week with world-famous choreographer Royston Maldoom. Not only that, but they were accompanied by the Deutsche Kamerphilarmoniekorkest. What an honour for everyone involved to work with such highly regarded professionals, but the young people were brilliant.
During the seven hour event there were exhibitions of art to do with HIV and AIDS that the youth had done at school, lots more performances (rappers, breakdancers, etc.), a practise of the drill, and even some spontaneous dancing in the foyer of the fantastic Mercedes Benz building where it took place.
Satellite connection with other Dance4Life countries.
The absolute highlight was the live satellite link between the countries. The Germans screamed and shouted when each country was introduced, but they reacted loudest to the African countries, as some of them had been on an exchange programme with other students at a school outside of Durban, and they feel a real affinity with Africa, and with the dreadful problem of HIV and AIDS there. They started dancing the Drill with the other countries via satellite, and just wouldn't stop - even when the music stopped, they just sang it, word perfect and carried on!
 I really was amazed by the level of commitment and enthusiasm these agents of change had for the project. They had mostly all spent an entire week at school learning about HIV and AIDS, dancing and painting about it. When they danced the drill, perfectly in time with one another, I saw and felt the enormous power that a group of young people can have. The adults and sponsors of the event looked down from the VIP room in awe at these young people, who really do Dance4Life.
"In September I went to a partner school in South Africa, and we were always singing and dancing there" Anna, 14
"How close is the difference between life and death in South Africa, very hard for us to learn this. But we are dancing 4 life!" Daniel, 15
Check out the satellite images from Germany and other countries.
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