Battery's performance at the Kraków 2000 was a wonderful surprise. We were greeted by a standing-room-only crowd including Cesar Beltran, our host from the American Embassy in Warsaw, Mark Toner, Bronia, Tim and others from the Consulate in Kraków.

There were many dancers and theater students in the audience as well. The full audience was a surprise because it had been depressingly apparent that the administration of the Kraków 2000 Festival had done everything possible to sabotage the Dance Festival. They had not published any brochures or leaflets advertising the Festival -- a fact which stood out baldly in contrast to the other components of the 2000 event (ie.The Jewish Festival, the Jazz Festival, the Street Theater Festival) all of which were lavishly and extensively marketed. We had been told that Philippe Saire, a well-known choreographer from Switzerland, whose company opened the festival, had performed for 37 people! BDC assumed that they owe the large audience to a natural build over the course of the Festival swelled for us by those who responded to the invitation to our performance and a reception issued by the American Embassy. The stage was very small at the Theater School, PWST, but the lighting equipment, piano and sound were excellent, and the setting was very comfortable for the audience.

The location just outside the center of Kraków was a tremendous improvement over the location where we performed in 1996 - the Nowohuckie Centrum Kultury - where some of the other dance companies were scheduled to perform this season. The Theater school appears to be a good partner for the Silesian Dance Theater in future. The Director and Administrator were both very cordial and welcoming. Our accommodations in Kraków, put together at the last minute by Roman Kusnierz, Managing Director of the Silesian Dance Theatre, were wonderful -- particularly for the five of us who stayed at the apartments of the Jagellonian University in the old center of Kraków.