To the home of our dear percussionist, Łukasz Kurzydło. It is not the first time for the team to go to Krakow but this trip was very special as Nat had just come here earlier this year with 13 students on an exchange programme with Paderewski Music School.
For more stories, you can follow their trip’s blog here: https://www.nat-studio.com/blog-1/categories/nsxpoland2019
We are back this time to perform at the prestigious Florianka concert hall.
After a few hectic days from premieres to Vienna, we finally had two days to ourselves to rest.
DAY 1: TRAVEL & REST
In Vienna, it was a bit of a struggle with all our luggages to fit in such a tiny plane to go to a holiday destination like Krakow. We didn’t realize how tiny the plane would be so we did struggle a lot with our (luggage) weight to go through. Fortunately, we received such kind help from #AustrianAirlines to give us extra weight for two luggages, making our lives much easier.
However, just right in front of the security check, we were asked to weigh all our carry-on bags. Dear all travelers, you know what this means.
The struggle IS REAL.
We had from tiny bags to bigger roller carry-ons like mine with computer and all electronics. Luckily we were 9 people so it wasn’t so hard to redistribute the extra weights to everyone. Although, in the end, the bigger carry-ons would be required to be checked in the cargo anyway.
Here is why.
The plane is TINY!!! Well, we’re happy we all got on it with all our bags and other passengers too :P
Finally arrived in Krakow, we realigned all the luggages and fit them all into smaller taxis and went to our accommodation for the next 5 days. We arrived at our designated accommodation. What happened in the street in front of our place? There’s a tram renovation going on.
It really just our funny luck this year. We booked another place when we came with the students and there was a tram renovation there. This time, we booked another place, even closer to our concert venue, but the tram renovation still followed us :P
So, we had to carry the bags a bit further to our rent apartments only to find out that we have to carry them up 3 more floors!!! So, up we go!!! 3 floors with so many bags.
As you can imagined by the time we managed with everything and check in, we were dead tired.
SLEEP
SLEEP
SLEEP
REST
REST
REST
was all we could think of…
DAY 2: PHOTOSHOOT
After half a day of rest and a longggggg night of sleep. Nat is up again for practice.
Our dear friends, Włodzimierz and Ewa from the school, kindly arranged a practice room for Nat. He went there first thing after breakfast while the others spent some time sightseeing the city. Throughout the whole trip, we will see how Nat manage to find a practice room in each place we go to.
We had a time limit though. It was a sunny day in Krakow and the weather was just perfect for a shoot. So, we decided to meet up at 4 pm. to get ready and go out to the main market square.
We came out of our apartments with a story. This time, we would be real travelers. We would have scenes from everyday travel. We have to wait for the bus/tram. We might buy Obwarzanki from the stall like other Krakovians. We might take a selfie at the fountain in the main market square. We would shop there. We would sit in a cafe there. There are many things you can do in Krakow and our story today is that of any traveler who would come by this charming old city.
It really is charming. A lot of people came to take photos with us and many of them played along with our story too!
It was indeed a fun day and a great opportunity for us to tell people about our upcoming concert.
DAY 3: CONCERT
We could enter the Florianka at 3 pm. So, unlike in Vienna, there was no time for another run through before the performance. For dancers, there was just enough time for blocking and spread out all the costumes and accessories and then we go!
This was our second concert in Europe but counting in the premieres in Thailand, it would be out fourth concert. Everything seemed to be settling more in place. I knew to set up places I would be running to to take photos after I’m done with my performance on stage. All dancers were much faster in spreading out and preparing their costumes and accessories. Our welcoming desk was a bit more challenging this time with the first one having only LoogTan (with full costume) and Sugar there. They had to greet people and take photos with people and there were Pakaoma from #Pracharat there that our audience kept asking about.
Through my lense, I could see that the audience was entranced from the minute they arrived at Florianka until the end of the performance. Our costumes seem to have been such a wonder to them. Sugar’s speech took them on a fantastical journey of music through various aspects of Thai culture. The story of “The Prodigal Son” spoke to them in such a way they didn’t expect before.
With our Krakovian percussionist, no one could ever imagine how he could play Taphon or how Nat and Łukasz make piano and percussion go so well together. The whole piece was so innovative and it really captured all the audience’s attention until the end.
We could even see little children sitting by the floor closest to the stage throughout the concert.
Our concert in Krakow, in a way, really felt cozy. Łukasz’s friends and family were there as well as the families we worked with this past April when our Nat Studio students came.
It was not just a concert. It’s a moment I really felt like our two cultures touched.
Another concert was done. We would have two more days to rest while Łukasz continues playing other gigs on the coming days.
Stay tune for more stories!