Helsinki 2015: City and group performances

No 76 OCTOBER 2015

CITY AND GROUP

PERFORMANCES

REVIEW: 15th WORLD
GYMNAESTRADA

#WG2015

CITY PERFORMANCES

Part of the goal of the 15th World Gymnaestrada was infusing the city of Helsinki with Gymnastics performances. Three city stages - the gorgeous and calm Senate Square, the Linnanmäki Amusement Park and Paavo Nurmi Square near the Olympic Stadium - drew the curious and the enthusiastic to discover the variety and showmanship of the World Gymnaestrada.

There was sometimes more going on than just Gymnastics itself. At the end of the week, Argentinean performer Daiana Fernandez received a surprise marriage proposal from her boyfriend after her team finished their routine on the Senate Square stage. For all who watched, it was an unforgettable experience.

LARGE GROUPS: UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN

It was called “The Swan” and it featured more than 500 performers dressed as graceful white birds, appearing to glide across the green field of the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The final formation the group made was a dove whose wings seemed to be flapping.

No performance at the World Gymnaestrada is more inclusive than the Large Group performances, masterpieces of planning and organisation that are visually stunning just for the sheer number of people who participate. The “Midnight Sun Special,” a World Gymnaestrada premiere designed to take advantage of Finland’s so-called “Endless Summer Nights,” featured some of the best in Large Group performances.

The World Team, a new concept featuring 2,200 gymnasts representing 35 different countries marched out onto the field for a spirited extra large group routine to Nightwish’s “Over the Hills and Far Away,” a nod perhaps to the distances between these countries - and how easily it can be overcome with fun choreography and music that makes you want to dance.