Eurovision Trivia: Interval Acts throughout the decades (Part Two)

We continue the second part of our tribute on the interval acts that have been presented since the launch of the Eurovision Song Contest. The tribute will eventually be divided into three parts due to the great material and the increase in the number of acts in the 2000’s.

In our previous article, we referred to the acts until the year 1999, as we have seen how much they have been transformed over the years. From simple performances and sketches to complex choreographies and performances of musical ensembles. Now it about time to go into the most modern era, analyzing what trends prevailed from 2000 to 2010 and how far they have evolved. Which events impressed us even more with their interval acts?

Let’s take a look at the relatively recent past with the year that marked the beginning of the new millennium.

2000-2003: The aesthetics of the 90’s show continues in the early 2000s

Gradually, the breaks between the end of the song’s presentation and the announcement of the results are gaining new momentum. They keep the style of the acts of the past decade but they are getting even more vibrancy and pulse.

2000: The contest is being held in Sweden, and the organizers present the film ” Once Upon A Time Europe was covered with ice”. Producer of the film was John Nordling while Johan Söderberg composed its music. For the film’s needs, the second one traveled to many parts of Europe to guide us to places with many customs but also to show us the concerns of many people. All this combined with a wonderful blend of traditional music. Before the video on stage of the Globe Arena, the violinist Caroline Lundgren came up, and after the end of it appeared the Bounce dance group and the drummers The Strangnas Drumcorps.

2001: Eurovision takes place in Copenhagen, and the well-known Danish dance group Aqua, along with the duet Safri Duo (Uffe Savery & Morten Friis), sings “Around The World”, “Turn Back Time”, and so on. Aqua made great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly with their “Barbie Girl” song.

2002: Runo Dance Company presented many kinds of dance and music while choreographies were directed by Estonian choreographer Teet Kask. The act emphasized on the fact that despite the difficulties the Estonians may have experienced, they still stand on their feet. In addition, the presenters and singers Annely Peebo and Marko Matvere sang “A Little Story”.

2003: The traditional band Ilgi and Brainstorm, Marie N, last year’s winner, appeared and sang in a videotaped performance and the Latvian composer and pianist Raimond Pauls played the piano.

2004-2007: Introduction of semifinal, interval acts for two shows, emphasis on spectacular performances and rapid changes of musical themes

Since the semi-final came into our life, another interval had to be added to serve the voting process. The shows gains a new character with stunning choreographies, high-level appearances, and more and more people are filling the stage.

2004: For the semi-finals of Eurovision in Istanbul, a musical-dancing act with many musical instruments is selected and in the end there is a humorous video showing ABBA.

For the Grand Final, the Turks recruit “Fire Of Anatolia”, a dance group of 120 dancers which has appeared in many countries of the world. The band combines traditional rhythms with the most contemporary music. The show they presented was quite impressive in both costume and musical alternation (from bellydance to choreographies from the musical tradition of Pontus).

2005: In the semifinal, the “Life Ballet” group appears while the Grand Final is made up of three appearances. The Peruvian band of percussion “ARS NOVA”, the well-known Ukrainian acrobat Anatoliy Zalevskiy and last year’s winner Ruslana where along with a group of dancers they performed the song The Same Star.

2006: In the semi-final, there are various Greek music and dancing performances composed by Dimitris Papadimitriou while the choreographies were edited by the well-known Eurovision choreographer Fokas Evangelinos. Also Sakis Rouvas, who also co-hosted the Eurovision of the Year, sang the English version of his success “I’m In Love With You”.

In the Grand Final, except that last year’s winner Elena Paparizou presented “Mambo” in English with an explosive appearance, the 4000 Years Of Greek Song theme was also featured on the stage in composition and choreography of the aforementioned. The glorious show guides us through a journey of Greek music from antiquity to the present day. Professional sketches, inventive choreographies and fanciful costumes are some of the features that distinguish it. From the mysticism of antiquity, to the religious devotion of the Byzantine era, to the Cretan tradition of the lyre, to Karagiozis (Shadow theater) and to the dancing with the accompaniment of bouzouki. It is no coincidence that many are considered this among the best interval acts ever.

2007: In the semifinals, the Finnish dance theater Tsuumi, where combined folk sounds and choreographies with electric guitar and opera. At the end, the cello metal band “Apocalyptica” appeared in an orchestral form of a medley with the songs “Worlds Collide”, “Faraway” and “Life Burns”. At the same time. various acts from acrobatic to spectacular with fires unfolded around them.

2008-2010: Two semi-finals and interval acts for three shows

The first year of the two semifinals and the same system is being followed that has prevailed to date. Gradually, the production of the institution is changing as more and more state-of-the-art systems are being used for an even result.

2008 – 1st Semi: In the first semi-final of Belgrade, the composer and singer of traditional music Slobodan Trkulja with Orpest Orkest and Balkanopolis orchestras, combining the Balkan sound with the Western European music. Second Semi: Belgrade’s National Theater gives a very playful performance to the second semifinals.

In the final, we saw the well-known and successful composer and musician at the European level Goran Bregovic, who together with a band ,they fill the evening with folk sounds. He comes from Bosnia, and for those who do not remember, he has composed Serbia’s 2010 “Ovo Je Balkan”.

2009- 1st Semi: The chorus of the Russian Army Alexandrov Ensemble or Red Army Choir appears and later on the scene with them t.A.T.u. where they sang “Not Gonna Gets Us”. 2nd Semi: Choir Igor Moiseyev delivered various folk songs from different countries and, of course, the dancing ones appeared. For the Moscow Final, the Russians recaptured the amazing postmodern theatrical show of Fuerza Bruta. The show comes from Buenos Aires and has traveled to many countries around the world.

2010 is one of the most invincible and insipid years with regard to interval acts. 1st Semi: Human Sounds are used whereby a video emphasizes on people and their activities. 2nd Semi: The concept has to do with a child who travels to different places with different media and begins to be influenced by music. By the time, he finally arrives in the full stadium and shows us along with other breakdance dancers. At the end, Madcon’s dance-pop duet is presented with the song ” Glow”. At the same time, our screens filled in with different parts of Europe where too many people are dancing in the rhythms of Madcon.