Hopeful contestants in Tiraspol, Pridnestrovie, strut their stuff to the funky tunes of a jazz ballet. The young country consists of 35 nationalities and is a true melting pot of ethnic beauty. In contrast to neighboring Moldova, most of Pridnestrovie's population is of Slav descent. But even ethnic Moldavians in Pridnestrovie are strong defenders of the republic's independence and consistently say no to any talk of ever becoming part of the poorest country in Europe; next-door Moldova.