We have been waiting for
this moment for years and we have got the confirmation she’ll come in France a
few months ago. I have to say that the excitement and the impatience were at its
highest peak.
When Reneé appeared on the
stage on the first day, she passed by to say Hi before going to the photo shoot.
We became hysterical, because we have been waiting for her coming for so many
years, we expressed our feelings with so much strength that Reneé was deeply
moved and very surprised by our passion !
During the first photo
shoot a xenite girl gave Reneé an armband that she had made on her own, we were
all wearing it in honor of the show XWP. Reneé was very moved and asked
immediately the xenite to put it on her arm. She was very proud to wear it on
photos. She was also wearing it during the first Q&A whereas she had changed her
T-shirt ! During my first dedication session I tried to apologize for our
welcome but I was so moved by her beauty and her charm that I was unable to
speak. Thanks to the translator who was there, so I could apologize to Reneé for
our noisy welcome that may had scared her but she answered me that she wasn’t
scared at all and that she was deeply moved but she’s a very shy person.
On the second day, after
the Q&A session some xenites had prepared a surprise for her. They played a part
of the « war song » choreography, from the episode « Lyre, lyre, hearts of fire ».
Here is the link :
.
At the end of the
choreography, all the dancers slipped off their shirts to show another shirt
with the following message : Thank you Reneé. Then they sat down on the stage
while a xenite girl was playing XWP music theme on piano and another xenite girl
gave Reneé a scrapbook full of draws, letters and poems. Reneé was once again
very moved I think she was a bit weepy. Then she told us that she was
remembering how difficult the choreography was and how Lucy and Ted were mad at
her because she did it better than them.
Then there was a photo
shoot at the end of the day, and while we were waiting for our turn, Reneé
stopped the session one moment and told us that we should be waiting a little
bit more because she wanted to spend some time with every single one of us!
she’s so generous ! But when my time came, I was unable to speak once again !!
The last day was also full
of surprises. First of all, Reneé was wearing so frenchy clothes, a T-shirt
« Paris, J’adore » and a black beret. She was so radiant ! Then during the Q&A
session, two xenites introduced to her the comic book they had created, which
tells Gabrielle’s story after Xena’s death. Reneé said it was nice and wondered
what was so interesting in Gabrielle’s character to create a following. Then the
comic draftsman gave her a beautiful painting, which protrays her and once again
Reneé was very touched and she was surprised that people can think she’s hot.
During the last photo
shoot, I finally could hug her ! Then Nicholas Brendon, from the show « Buffy
the vampire slayer » and Reneé came back on stage. When the drop cloth opened up
they saw all of us from behind. The music started and we performed two
choreographies on two songs of Britania High : « So high » and « Start of
something ». We had prepared it since the first day of the convention. I have to
say that the guests loved the show very much. Reneé said that we seemed to have
so much fun, that we seemed to be so free and happy. So we asked them to perform
the first song with us and they agreed.
Here’s a link with Nicholas
and Reneé :
It was magical, so touching.
It was a moment that we won’t forget. Then there was the last dedication session
and some fans, including me, wanted so much to see her one more time that we
bought an extra dedication, I have no regrets about that. As I was unable to
speak to her I wrote few words on a card to thank her and I gave it to her.
By now there’s a lot of
fans who are very happy but so nostalgic too when they think of this week-end.
They’re also ready to do it again. I think Reneé really enjoyed too, and may
come back to France to make us happy.
Dear american xenites,
these was a glimpse of our convention, I hope you appreciated it, and maybe some
of you would like to come to the next one.
"I’d like to thank, like other french xenites I think, Xenan, founder of
both french website and forum Xena-Immortal. He has always believed in this
event and kept going on to make it come true.Thank
you also to all the team of xena-immortal which makes an extraordinary work.
I’d like to thank Ultimart’Création too, which organised the convention
in an extraordinary way and I hope they’ll organise someday a Xena convention.
Thanks to all the french xenites who were terrific."
And last but not least, I’d
like to thank Reneé O’Connor, which is a wonderful woman, she is generous,
touching, graceful, and very open. She deeply moved us and we will never forget
her .
Stay just the way you are, you’re an angel...
by Braid-girl Sabrina
Translated and corrected by Phoebe and
Kaori (thank you girls)
