The street was their stage in the flower parade. The Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble promotes the highest standard of excellence for dancers from our region and last month the dancers took those talents to Hungary.
"It was my first place flight and it was my first trip ever out of the country which was just amazing," 16-year-old Emily Freeny said.
The week-long Flower Festival is in Debrecen in the eastern part of Hungary near Romania.
"It includes parades and art event, museums and guests from all over the world. So this year we were the only people representing the United States," Irena Linn said.
Linn is a lifelong dancer and the TCDE Artistic Director. Emily Freeny is one of her students.
"I love performing and I especially loved performing in Hungary," Emily said.
The enthusiastic crowds at the parades and performances energized the young dancers.
A professor and his student arranged a special part of the trip.
"Meet and talk with high school children from Hungary. That's where we learned most of our language was from them. That was really amazing because they are so different but so much like us," Emily said.
"We always wherever we go, we work with underprivileged children or in poor schools so they also are exposed to the arts because it is a healing and uplifting experience to enjoy the arts," Linn said.
She was born in Berlin and speaks four languages fluently. She wanted her dancers to experience another culture.
"It was so colorful and joyful and it was so much different than anything I would have ever seen here in America. It was wonderful," Emily said.
Most of the people they met spoke at least a little English and Emily learned a little Hungarian.
"I'm probably not going to say it right but thank you is koszonom szepen. You're welcome is szivesen, which I said a lot. And goodbye and hi is szia," Emily said with her best Hungarian accent.
They did not say szia to Debrecen before exploring the local landmarks.
"The first day we saw St. Stephen's Basilica and then we got to go inside and it was so much different. They said it was a small basilica, but we all thought it was huge," Emily said.
"It is almost like theater scenery," Linn said. "The Parliament! The Bascilica! The Basicila is so magnificent that you can understand prayer and religious feelings just by the architecture. You don't even need the huge organ music and all that. It was a wonderful experience."
A stadium full of people experienced one of their performances called Salute.
"Salute, I think they liked it. I really think they liked. It's so American. It's so American," Emily said.
They brought America to Hungary.
The next event for Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble is at World's Fair Park this coming Sunday. It is called Children in the Arts.