Participatory Observation of the Celebration of Czechoslovakia’s Centenary at the All-Sokol Rally (“Let’s Get Stronger!”)

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this paper is to present the form of celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Republic. The physical culture association Sokol played an important role in the foundation of the republic and became part of the Slovak civil associations scene in 1918. The XVIth All-Sokol Ralley (Všesokolský zlet) in 2018 was one of the official events dedicated to the celebration of Czechoslovakia’s anniversary. For this occasion, the Slovak-Czech piece of motion music „Spolu” (“Together”) was composed. Based on participatory observation of the rehearsals in the role of a trainee, as well as interviews with the author of the music and observations at the All-Sokol Ralley, I have explored the symbolism of the celebration and reflected on the participation of Slovak women in this event.