On December 9, 2024, at 5:00 p.m., the Audimax at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences in Building Z IV was transformed into a stage filled with dance, chemistry, and spectacle. This year’s Chemistry Christmas Show Lecture, themed “Let’s Dance Dirty—The Campus Is on Fire!,” once again proved to be a unique experience for all attendees.

The Story: Dance and Chemistry United

The show lecture, featuring the team led by lab director and main organizer Matthias Jeschke, transported the audience into the story of a failed dance school owner on the Zittau campus, the “dancing bear” Detlef D Massimo, who wants to breathe new life into his existence with the help of the charismatic dance instructor Johnny Castle and an exciting dance competition. In addition to witty dialogue and a gripping plot, fascinating chemistry experiments made the stage glow and shake. Special guests, including the HSZG president, spectacular effects, and plenty of humor rounded out the program.

To kick things off, the “TABU” show and performance group from the Burghart Dance School really got the audience going—a taste of the lively rhythms to come in the dance competition, in which the dance duo Ria Hübner and Anna Grohmann sought to impress the jury—chaired by the strict judge Mr. Llambi (Prof. Alexander Kratzsch)—with their dancing skills, including a rumba. Despite the audience’s enthusiastic applause, head judge Llambi awarded only mediocre scores, firmly convinced that no dance act in the world would persuade him to give full marks. But he hadn’t counted on the world’s best mambo of all time performed by the third dance duo (Pia Schubert and Marc Gründer), who, to the tune of “Time of My Life,” made every ’80s heart skip a beat with their final lift and captivated the younger audience just as much. Perfect score!

The FSR-N took care of the catering before and after the event! Special thanks go to the team.

Matthias Jeschke, the creative mind behind the show lecture, was delighted with the preparations.

The president of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Alexander Kratzsch, who had the privilege of serving as the (overly) critical judge this year, was also delighted to be able to take part in the event.

When the doors of the Audimax opened at 4:30 pm, the rows of seats were quickly filled. Whether Hangover, Terminator or Dancing Bear - year after year, the team at the Chemistry Christmas Show Lecture amazes the audience and causes hearty fits of laughter. The mdr radio station was a guest this year and reported after the event. The editor was impressed by the performers' wealth of ideas. With so much attention, don't you start to run out of ideas? Certainly not! Because after the show lecture is before the show lecture.