BScene 2017 is over
National and international bands rocked the stages in Basel and inspired a crowd of around 7,000 people who attended the concerts of BScene 2017. This year it was the first time the event was managed by new director Luisa Bitterlin. A total of 70 staff members and 400 musicians participated in the festival.
This year’s festival included a number of changes. Besides the well-used clubs and venues such as the Kaserne, Parterre One Kultur, Jazzcampus Club, Hirscheneck, and Atlantis, the festival worked together with the Monkeybar, Huckebein, and Terrorsamba clubs. After a longer absence, the SUD, Voltahalle, and Sommercasino clubs also participated.
The festival designs, put together by Noel Michel and Kurt Stefan Scherrer, were very impressive. Through the use of self-produced interior and exterior designs, each club was easily identified as being part of the BScene festival.
School classes in Baselland and Basel-Stadt dance onto the podium
Dancing groups from the cantons Aargau, Baselland, Basel-Stadt, Bern, and Solothurn took part in School Dance Award of Northwestern Switzerland competition on Saturday.
In the event which took place in the Musical Theater Basel, both Basel cantons succeeded more than any other, with six winners on the podium.
The most successful dance groups in the School Dance Awards from a regional perspective were the primary school St. Johann/Peters from Basel and the Sekundarschule Waldenburgertal in the category Sekundarstufe 1.
Both teams were top of their age categories in the Northwestern Swiss Final. For the eighth time, the best dance classes in the Northwestern Switzerland region were chosen from the five cantons of Aargau, Baselland, Basel-Stadt, Bern, and Solothurn. They previously had to qualify for the final.
The event was organised by the sports office of Baselland and Basel-Stadt, and it was the first time that Basel had hosted the competition. The Musical Theater provided an appropriate stage for the breath-taking dance performances and choreographies of the 300 female and 40 male contestants. The auditorium was filled to the last seat. The best teams in the primary school, secondary school I and II categories performed under the applause of more than 1,000 spectators.
The dance groups convinced the judges not only through their musical variety but also by the creativity of their dance acts, the class of their performances, and their accessories which they used during the show. The teams started a dance-fireworks which lasted for hours. Among the 26 participating groups were six teams from the two Basel cantons.
In the end it was the groups from the two Basel cantons which had convinced the jury of four. Six out of nine places on the winners' podium were won by teams from the Basel region. In the ‘primary school’ category, the group “Dance Explosion” from the primary school St. Johann/Peters were first, while the primary school group “All4one” from Pratteln came in second. In third place was the team “Girls on Stage” by the primary school Staufen (Aargau).
A double win by schools from Baselland occurred in the category Secondary School I. The group “Unique” by the Sekundarschule Waldenburgertal won the trophy before a group by Sekundarschule Reinach (BL/NBA). In third place was the team from the District School Hallwyler Brugg in Aargau.
In the category Secondary School II, a class from Aargau were the winners. The team “kEinstein” of the alte Kantonsschule Aarau was ranked before “Black Illusion” from Berufsschule Basel, and “Alpha Force” from Gymnasium Oberwil.
The breath-taking dance routines of the groups inspired not just the audience. Conradin Cramer, member of government and director of the education department Basel-Stadt, was happy about the performances too: “Even at age 38 I am happy about being educated in music,” he said, adding that he would “love to copy one or the other dance move” to use for his future dances on the stage of politics. Mr Cramer also emphasised the unique atmosphere at the Musical Theater. He also thanked the teachers who had made it possible that around 400 pupils could enjoy an unforgettable moment of participating in the final at the Musical Theater.
Ranking
Primary schools
1. dance explosion, PS St. Johann/Peters Basel
2. all4one, Primarschule Pratteln
3. Girls on stage, Primarschule Staufen AG
Sekundarstufe I
Secondary schools I
1. Unique, Sek. Waldenburgertal BL
2. NBA, Sek Reinach BL
3. The Trill, Bezirksschule Hallwyler Brugg AG
Secondary schools II
1. kEinstein, Alte Kantonsschule Aarau
2. black illusion, Berufsfachschule Basel
3. Alpha Force, Gymnasium Oberwil