This annual event, part of the Nelson Arts Festival, is a lot of fun. I came away with not only a heap of interesting images, but feeling good about the world. There was so much energy and creativity on show, people were having such a good time.
In the assembly area the scene is almost bewildering: so many subjects it’s difficult to select a target. I concentrated on heads and faces for a start:
(Well, perhaps that last one is not just about faces….)
Then I came across two young girls on stilts:
and a couple of volunteers from my Rotary Club:
I was finally rewarded with a close-up shot of the Queen (who was kind enough to wave at me!)
The kids of course were having a great time:
The parade included some truly impressive numbers, such as the pupils from Hampden Street School. Around 400 of them, dressed as Roman legionaires:
Some schools adopted a more peaceful theme:
It wasn’t just kids:
Towards the end of the parade, the Nelson – China Friendship Society had persuaded dancers from the Leshan Song & Dance Troupe, from Sichuan province, to join them. They were a beautiful addition:
A couple of nights earlier we’d watched them perform in a very moving show: “Fault Lines”, a collaborative NZ / China production exploring stories from the terrible Sichuan earthquake.
Finally, I grabbed a couple of shots of a group of spectators taking some ‘selfies’. Here’s one of them (love the faces!)
