Swirling umbrellas, sunny colorful moments and the upcoming autumn. Thanks to its lively and dynamic music, the Slet composition Babí léto (Indian Summer) will get everyone on the stage and in the stands moving. The choreography for the category of women and senior women is in great demand and is a record-breaker of the upcoming XVIIth All-Sokol Slet (Gathering) - in Prague alone, 2,500 women will perform in the Fortuna Arena!

Eight minutes and 36 seconds long choreography was prepared by Štěpánka Sadílková and Tereza Kosíková of Sokol Horoměřice. The composition had been a hotly debated subject before being announced already, mainly because of the Slet outfit and the umbrellas. The women’s gymnastic choreography will be accompanied, for example, by the songs of Helena Vondráčková and Jiří Korn. The authors talked about the composition and its magic in the following interview.

Why “Indian Summer”? What inspired you in preparation of the choreography?

We were definitely inspired by the women of the Sokol Horoměřice gymnastic association, which we have been a part of for many years. Although the group is diverse in age, we are a great bunch. Most of the members are peers of our mothers, but there are also teenage girls.

What do you think the composition “Indian Summer” represents?

It features several expressive aspects. In general, Indian Summer can be seen as a sunny, colorful and pleasant moment in an otherwise gloomy autumn season. The rain will be heard and felt during the whole performance, symbolizing the drizzly weather, hence the umbrellas. However, the choreography seeks to demonstrate that thanks to joint activity and fellowship it is possible to overcome the gloomy season easily.

You mentioned umbrellas - how do you work with them? And what outfits did you choose?

The umbrella is our main equipment. Each gymnast performs with one of two variants - either a deep yellow or a raspberry pink umbrella. These two form a beautiful color composition that will certainly captivate and delight the audience. As to the outfits, we have chosen a tunic with a hood - a sort of a raincoat, and the leggings that work as a figurative symbol for dancing in the rain. The turquoise and white colors have also been chosen to enhance the theme of the composition.

What can the audience look forward to? What do you think is the most interesting moment of the choreography?

There are many interesting and entertaining moments in the piece. But we should definitely mention the tap-dance insertions, which represent a great challenge for the gymnasts. And the colorful blending of the umbrellas will definitely be pretty to watch too.

Do you yourself have a favorite moment in the composition?

One of my favorite moments is the final part of the choreography, which gets everyone on the floor and in the stands moving thanks to its lively and dynamic music.

The choreography is intended for women and senior women. Why did you choose this age category?

Our women have regularly participated in All-Sokol Slets since 2000. However, time cannot be stopped and for some members, rehearsals have become challenging over time. The desire for a fresh choreography nevertheless remained and we wanted to design something like this for our “out-grown teenage girls”. Our intention was to create a composition appropriate for the age group in terms of the difficulty of movements, but at the same time one that would allow the women to express their youthful spirit.

Basic information about performance is HERE.