Dancing against the language barrier

Cuban, American and German students worked together on an international love song revue. Singing student Anna-Rabea Schulz talks about the preparations, love songs and Cuban temperament. QUESTION: A large part of the preparations for the revue, which premieres on Thursday, 30 May at 8 p.m. in the university auditorium, was done via Skype and social networks. SCHULZ: Unfortunately, we couldn't Skype with the Cubans because most of them don't have the internet. That's why we as a German group only skyped with the American group to introduce ourselves personally, present songs from our repertoire or spontaneously sing together. That was quite exciting and interesting. Some of us also skyped privately with singers from the American group to get to know each other better.

QUESTION: How did the organisation and preparation of the event work?

SCHULZ:The organisation was such that each group prepared its own repertoire. Pieces were selected and arranged together. In addition, each group selected a typical song from their country, which everyone then prepared in parallel in the three countries. These songs will be performed on stage during the revue together with all the groups. As a German group, we officially rehearsed for four hours every week - both as a whole group and in small groups. We also collected photos and interviews on the topic. The material culture students in particular contribute a lot to the project. QUESTION:One of the aims of the project is to promote intercultural understanding. What is special about having so many nations working on one project? And to what extent are cultural differences and particularities noticeable in the collaboration? SCHULZ: It's exciting when three different cultures come together. Most of the American students only speak English, some Spanish and none German. The Cubans, on the other hand, only speak Spanish - some of them also speak a little English. As the German group in this project, we are somewhere in between linguistically: everyone speaks English, some also speak Spanish. The marvellous thing is that despite these language barriers, communication is possible.
The rhythm comes from Cuba. We quickly realised this: on our first evening together in Germany, everyone was already dancing together. The next day we went to the first rehearsal, where everyone learnt and danced the cha-cha-cha together on stage.
The exchange is very intense. Everyone automatically gets to grips with the other culture. The acting of the Americans was also funny. And by the time they fly back to Towson, they will definitely all be able to ride a bike. QUESTION:What criteria were used to select the love songs? Were there any discrepancies? SCHULZ: There was a main theme, "Love in the Ages", which we used as a guide. The entire repertoire is about love. Different musical genres are represented so that as many people and as many generations as possible are addressed. There were some discussions and disagreements about the selection of songs, but everything stayed on track QUESTION:What happens after the opening in Oldenburg?

SCHULZ: After the concerts in Oldenburg, we will fly to the USA in September and perform the revue there. Cuba is on the programme for spring 2014. The aim is to present the concert in all countries.

Information on the revue "Liebe in den Zeiten - Love Through Time - Amor Entre Tiempos: A Cappella + Percussion":

Premiere: Thursday, 30 May, 8.00 pm, exhibition opening: 7.00 pm; further dates: Friday, 31 May and Saturday, 1 June. Concerts at 8.00 pm, exhibition from 7.00 pm. Admission 10 euros, reduced 6 euros. Advance ticket booking by email at or by telephone on 0441/7984907.