Szalagavató 2011

On Friday night we attended szalagavató, the school-leavers' ball. The students who are being honored will finish their career at Trefort this spring. The ball begins with a speech by the principal, and then the pinning ceremony, in which the class teacher pins each of the students in that class. The pin simply shows the name of the school and two bits of ribbon. The students will wear these quite proudly when they are out in public--"I graduate this year!" This year there were seven classes that were honored at Trefort. If you look closely, the girls at the left end of each class are holding the "pin pillow."



After the pinning ceremony, each class presents a choreographed dance in which most of the class members participate. The music is quite varied, fast paced, and is quickly changing. The audience gets quite involved with clapping and cheering. Each class has a choreographer that has worked with the students during the previous month.





Following the individual dances, the mood shifts quite dramatically to a formal ball. The couples have been coached with this dance also, and the waltz features a lot of movement, switching partners, and graceful artistry. The photo captures the beauty but not the grace. This dance was performed twice, with the entire group of fifty couples rotating 180 degrees for the benefit of the audience on the opposite side of the gymnasium.



The last part of the program is when parents, grandparents, and friends are invited to come onto the floor to waltz with the honored school-leavers. It's fun to see the proud grandmas dancing with their grandsons.

The teachers attending szalagavató are seated in a reserved section on the main floor, really a place of honor. After the final dance the faculty is invited to a reception where the class teachers of the school-leavers are honored. We appreciate the opportunity we have to be a part of the larger faculty group!