This year's XVII All-Sokol Slet has reached another peak. A packed O2 Arena twice applauded the two-hour Sokol Gala performance on Tuesday, during which hundreds of Sokol members, under the direction of Daniel Komarov, creatively depicted the journey of the Czech Sokol Organization from its founding to present day.
“This work captivated me the most because I get to tell the story of the Sokol organization. I know it's a well-known story to some, but there are many young athletes who don't have such a strong connection to the past,” says Daniel Komarov, a member of the renowned Cirk La Putyka.
From the beginning, it was clear that this storytelling would not be boring. The audience enthusiastically applauded during the afternoon rehearsal and had a great time during the evening performance. The viewers responded eagerly to every word of the moderator.
Director Komarov, while thematically starting from the long-past introduction of Miroslav Tyrš to Jindřich Fügner, kept the program incredibly dynamic and engaging. It was never dull, thanks also to the live music by the band CLPBND and the string trio Eterea.
State formation, Clash of Values, Resistance, Downfall, Free Europe, the '90s, and Modern Sokol. The creators didn't forget any key chapter of the organization and used each of the 15 parts of the evening to showcase Sokol teams dedicated to performance sports.
The packed arena cheered on the athletes and appreciated every piece of this collage, whether it was gymnasts, fencers, athletes, or representatives of new disciplines like capoeira or acrobatic rock 'n' roll. Everything culminated in the chapter "100 Years," referring to the first Olympic gold medal won by Sokol gymnast Bedřich Šupčík in 1924.
Last minute
“I drew from historical parallels, considering which eras and sports certain historical chapters touched upon. At the beginning, I had an idea of what I definitely wanted to include. Then, we went through the entire membership base with the sports department of the Czech Sokol Organization, looking for sports with a performative aspect,” explains the director, describing how he developed the ideas of Jan Haupt, head of the ČOS sports department, and Michal Burian, ČOS educator.
Where appropriate, the director enhanced the “theatricality” of the performance with professional colleagues from Cirk La Putyka, including acrobats, dancers, and other guests. This definitely improved the quality of entertainment. Surprisingly, the entire show was finalized only on Tuesday.
The enthusiastic audience heeded the call of their mayor, Martin Chlumský. The largest hall in the country thundered with the slogan of this year's Slet, "Slet CONNECTS!" At the very end, the Slet participants in the stands chanted, "If you're not jumping, you're not a Sokol!"
The Sokol Gala was a resounding success. It set the bar for future Slets almost to the ceiling of Prague's O2 Arena...
