The title of this dance is inspired by the
Mainzer Narrhalla-Marsch
, the signature tune of the “Meenzer Fassenacht” (Mainz carnival), composed in 1840 by bandmaster and founding member of the
Mainzer Carneval-Verein
(Carnival Club of Mainz), Carl Zulehner (1805-1847).
In the city of Mainz, carnival is culturally very important (to a point where it is referred to locally as “the fifth season”). The SCD group there is called the “Narhalla Dancers” [only one “r”].
The formations of the dance symbolise various aspects of the history and culture of the city of Mainz:
The hands across on bars 1–8 stand for the wheels in the city’s traditional coat of arms.
The 1st couple’s solo figure on bars 9–16 symbolises the Mainz carnival parade.
Bars 17–24 evoke the
Äbsch Seit
(“wrong side”), i.e., the other bank of the river Rhine.
Of course the inhabitants of Mainz consider themselves greatly superior to the people living there
(a sentiment that is vigorously reciprocated).
Bars 25–32 allude to Mainz-based Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of printing using movable type.
The cross formation in bars 33–36 signifies the archbishopric of Mainz.
The final movement on bars 37–40, the “wine press”, points to the local tradition of viticulture.