The International Spirit of Friendship

Caden, Emily, and Josh in costume with some cute little dancers from Ukraine

One thing that has really struck me on this tour is the international spirit of friendship. In Belgrade we saw it with the generosity of the host families. They opened up their homes, invited us in, cooked for us, drove us around, and helped with all sorts of problems. They weren't paid for this. In fact, some of them probably spent a good deal of money to host and feed us. But they did it anyway out of a spirit of friendship that stems from the common language of dance and performance.
As dancers there is a common ground and understanding amongst everyone. We all understand the hard work, sore feet, time, and effort that is required to travel and perform. Not only does the story our dancing tell share a message and the history of our country matter, but the friendships and respect built among the teams matters too. It's not just about the 20 minute show we put on. There is much more to these tours than that. Increased understanding and appreciation for other cultures is good for everyone.