Marriott A706 at 2:30PM on Saturday was almost filled to capacity to the delight of Iro Paine, the presenter of the panel “Learn the Language of Andor’s The Ghor.” It quickly became obvious to all attendees that this hands-on workshop was going to be informative and fun, as Iro’s voice shone with the passion and joy she has for this language.
Not only does she teach this workshop, she also is the instructor for the Lang Belta workshop (from the TV series The Expanse). Having a background in music and languages, Iro has worked with Disney and other organizations as a consultant. This gifted teacher is patient and encouraging as she teaches participants how to speak various off-world languages. She loves what she does, and it reflects in her lessons.
The Ghor language brought the world of Andor to life, reminding us what is lost when a culture is crushed. It was so much fun as we learned some of the basics of the Ghor language. Not only is the wording emphasized, but the body language as well.
The planetary anthem we learned was so powerful and beautiful. The passion of this song was felt as we all did our best to master this piece. In that moment, we truly became part of this culture. Iro was so impressed she filmed it.
At the end of the panel, the audience performed this song in unison as we walked out of the room. It was inspiring to those out in the lobby. Not only did we do a great job, we were asked to do it again from the beginning, proving the power of language.