Day 10 by Adithi

At school today, we learned about dancing from the Renaissance period. We do not know a lot about the customs and traditions from this period, or for that matter, even what they ate or drank because little of that was ever recorded. However, the one exception to that appears to be their dancing style. They have sheets of music with dance movements written along the side, dictating the way the piece should be performed. What is interesting here is how they have brought in movements from everyday activities. For example, they would clap similar to the way they washed their clothes by the river. It was fun to try out some of this. First, we danced in two circles – an inner and an outer one. The inner circle would do the same movement as the outer circle but in the opposite direction. The movements were basic shuffle steps but the contrast between the two circles made it more dynamic. Next, we did a bit of partner dancing. It was quite a challenge to be in-sync with one’s partner. And besides, we were all bumping into each other! The other highlight of our day was visiting the magnificent Tours Cathedral and the Musée des Beaux-Arts. The art exhibits spanned various time periods – the class really enjoyed the modern art. There was quite a wide spectrum of this, ranging from abstract paintings to even art made from neon lights!

School was followed by some shopping, during which I got to treat myself to a simple.. and simply delicious crêpe au sucre.. it was amazing! We topped off the evening with dinner at a friend’s house. And so winds down another day in lovely Tours.