Romanian Police to Learn Ballet »
Posted By gamahuche 1 year, 8 months ago in StyleRegulating traffic can be difficult but police officers in western Romania have found a solution to their pains and are taking ballet classes to help them do their work more gracefully.
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gamahuche
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gamahuche1 year, 8 months ago
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FTA:
"The aim is to develop an ability to regulate traffic and achieve elegance in their movements, which will not only be agreeable to the eyes but could also help drivers waiting at a red light get rid of their stress or sadness," the head of the community police in the town of Timisoara, Dorel Cojan, told AFP.
Some 20 members of the local community police are already attending classes under two former dancers of the Timisoara Opera Ballet.
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I like the way this is presented as a win-win situation - not only will the cops ease their pains and be more graceful in their movements but they'll be giving therapeutic help to drivers. The question is will the giving of tickets be included in the ballet and also be less stressful for the receivers?!
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Mdiar1 year, 8 months ago
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This is a great idea and, if applied in the United States, it may help dispel the myth that ballet is not a masculine thing. I never took it myself (not built for it) but I do know that a few professional athletes take ballet already to improve coordination and grace.
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cowboygrandpa1 year, 8 months ago
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gama:
Kind of reminds me of boxers training. I used to train to music because of the rythum and timing. Increase the tempo of the music as you become better trained. Pretty soon it's like the music and moves are part of you and you just do it naturally.
Kind of embarrassing on the dance floor though when you break into a traing routine. It wasn't ballet music more rock and roll. LOL
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Kitty171 year, 8 months ago
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Hm, see my reply to getreal1...
Silly by circumstance...
I'd love to see you driving around the ridiculous "round circle", specific to European cities, and never be able to get out of that 'spinning experience'... ha, ha, ha... it IS funny.. unless you are in it, trying to make a turn.. ANY turn...
You can get most places faster by walking! And that is why they do not have an obesity problem even with all that excellent food!
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Spadecaller1 year, 8 months ago
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When they get run over in the middle of a pirouette their gracefulness gets lost quickly.
Although, I do remember years ago when NYC police and police on Long Island directed traffic with grace and dramatic appeal. In fact, there was a film created that featured cops directing traffic with classical background music. Quite amusing!
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canadianrancher571 year, 8 months ago
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I saw something like this on the tv a while ago on one of those shows that show strange or unusual things, It seemed that most of the people were enjoying the performance of the traffic cop. I usually don't get to excited when driving and wouldn't mind something such as this as long as it doesn't get to carried away with dances like they do to day.
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Poulenc1 year, 8 months ago
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"'The aim is to develop an ability to regulate traffic and achieve elegance in their movements, which will not only be agreeable to the eyes but could also help drivers waiting at a red light get rid of their stress or sadness,' the head of the community police in the town of Timisoara, Dorel Cojan, told AFP."
Try to imagine a statement like this coming from an equivalent US top-cop!
It is to rejoice...and leads to reflection on the absurd sex-role stereotyping slash antiestheticism slash homophobia that is unfortunately ingrained here.
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Kitty171 year, 8 months ago
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IF you must drive in Timisoara you WOULD appreciate ANY measure to make driving there sane!
It is an old European city 1204! in Transylvania, so streets are narrow, you can not re-do the infrastructure by demolishing old, historic and gorgeous buildings. Very tough!
The city is growing like crazy! Largest economic & cultural center and the most beautiful & advanced in Romania (nicknamed Little Vienna) yes, I am bias, it is my home-town. The Revolution that overthrew the communist regime started here!
Traffic is down right impossible. I drive TX style in Dallas where I now reside BUT I didn't dare get behind the wheel over there (preferred local chauffeurs with patience and expertise ha ha!
If interested,some great links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TimiÅ;oara
http://www.primariatm.ro/album/index.php
(551 photos to understand WHY the 21st century traffic just does not work here).
Enjoy your virtual sightseeing!
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gamahuche1 year, 8 months ago
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That's great to hear first-hand from a native!
But what do you think of this police-ballet scenario?!
Can you imagine your police going for it and enjoying it or is this just a big joke??
I've never been in Rumania but I know several other Eastern European conntries well - Poland, Cz, Rep., Hungary. I could definitely imagine something like this in Budapest but not in either Poland or Czech, for different reasons.
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blinkers1 year, 8 months ago
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Gama, the thread's moved on by now, but you might catch this. Your story is an interesting piece which brought back memories of a 1971 visit I made to that town Timisoara, just north of the border with Yugoslavia, as was. It was a tough communist state, in the throes of Ceausescu just getting into his stride (revamping Bucharest, etc.,), and beards were strictly banned for young men. I was hitch-hiking (heavily bearded) and arrived in Timisoara -- it was a hilarious couple of days as every uniformed official who saw me immediately headed in my direction, assuming a reprimand and shave was in order. The passport saved the day, however, and I escaped into Hungary with my beard in tact. Interestingly enough, I recall many beautiful young women being, er, "interested" in my appearance.
It was a memorable time, thanks for the opportunity to revisit it!
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gamahuche1 year, 8 months ago
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Phew.. 71 in Rumania!!
I've not been there YET but having just learned that its in Transylvania will hasten my journey there even faster!
There is a definite advantage in such circumstances on being completely "other"! Or to put it another way - in some situations it could be your only hope!
My first return to the Czech lands, after 25 years, was in '73 which was, with usual bizarre paradox, known as the period of "normalisation".
It was 5 years after the failed '68 uprising and they had [almost] everyone and everything under control..
Being completely "other" was a fantastic advantage. I hich-hiked all over - after my Dad had shown me all the things that he wanted to show me and we had more-or-less caight up on 25 years of contact-free separation.
As soon as I got into a car the people realised that I was 100% OUTSIDE the system they opened up - in a way which Czechs rarely do to this day - and told me EVERYTHING! Fantastic, irreplaceable memories!
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