Sapana Contemporary Circus Company

Eight days a week

2012-02-15T02:11:00.000-08:00

Radically restructuring the calendar in order to squeeze an extra day into the mix isn't going to happen - however, upping our current training schedule from 7hrs a week to a whopping 32 is!

Over the past month or so we've been chopping and changing our training sessions at the drop of a hat as rigorous studying and prelim's for the SLC's (school leavers certificate) take place. All of us (trainers and Sapana members alike) are looking forward to that golden moment when pens will be placed alongside full exam papers with a sigh of relief.

Mimicking movement with our puppet - Ghamlagnu

Polishing a routine

New moves for Jamuna

Taukhel-Training-Time

2012-01-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

January equals school holidays which in turn equals a month of activities at EBMF's refuge in Taukhel.

Sapana have been teaching circus to the younger kids - organised chaos, with an eager bunch of pyramid builders, tumblers, dancers, puppeteers and jugglers! Great to see members of Sapana take the lead and share their skills...us volunteers were amazed at the cacophony of noise that resulted in relative order and beaming smiles of accomplishment.

Last fortnight saw the return of Ivan from his antipodean adventuring - aptly he'll be juggling teaching in Kathmandu with Sapana training until May (unless we can convince him to stay longer of course).

We also had and a visit from the hilarious Smile Project - http://thesmileproject.ie/ travelling from Ireland to share their endearing antics with children throughout the Kathmandu Valley. A wholehearted thank you for our morning of laughter! The kids are still mimicking tricks from the day and calling "Jadu!" (magic) to each other in delight.

With the impending IMPORTANT final school exams looming over much of our troupe we've relocated two of our three training sessions per week to the refuge - cutting down on travel to/from the gym we usually train in - freeing up more time to hit those books hard.

Our tiny space here in Taukhel makes the gym appear palatial! There's no swinging to be had from these rafters - so our focus has had to shift away from aerial work. Monday's have lent themselves well to juggling and manipulation sessions - everyone's making great headway - next week will see a group show and tell, then we'll move into choreographing short sequences together.

We dipped our toes and swayed the rest of our rhythm section into a traditional French dance workshop with Blanche and Nicolas - performers visiting Kathmandu who generously give their time to Sapana. Some winning moves were mastered that could lend themselves ever-so-nicely to transitional choreography between circus acts...watch this space for upcoming show info.

Beep beep, honk honk

2012-01-01T22:48:00.000-08:00

It’s been five weeks since I landed in Kathmandu – on thatfirst day spent walking the streets, swiftly finding my bearings (thanks tofellow circus volunteers, Ivan and Jo) I felt strangely at ease. I say strangely, since KTM is like no othercity I’ve encountered before; traffic swoops by - left, right and centreaccompanied by the never ending chorus of “beep beep, honk honk”, gutted chickensand goats heads adorn stalls - neighbored either side by cashmere cardigansand, if you’re lucky, the Himalaya peeks it’s ridge above the mountains – as ifto remind you that the world continues outside of the valley.

On day two, I had the fortune to enjoy Sapana perform infull swing at the Alliance Francaise for International Children’s day. The audience filled to the brim with laughterand excitement – a great day organized by Art En Poche…read the glowing reviewhere http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=38649

Sapana perform for International Children's Day

November into December was a busy time for Sapana – Camilleand I shared handbalancing, explored character, stage technique and tumblingwith a strong dose of conditioning. Allin contest with load shedding - power shortages in the city.

The past fortnight has been disrupted by school exams and bandhs (the latter grinding the city to an absolute halt). We've busied ourselves in this time making juggling kit and puppets and last night saw us return to training full steam ahead…we were all glad to get stuck in again!

photographs: Lydia Bottcher

January will bring a visit from Irish based, The SmileProject - http://thesmileproject.ie/alongside the return of Ivan and the sailing of a tight ship towards THE BIGSHOW in early April. With more exams onthe horizon, we’ve much to get through between now and then.

setting forth, past setbacks and backflips

2011-11-09T23:39:00.000-08:00


photos by Craig Ferguson - www.craigfergusonimages.com

In the middle of October, Sapana took a sudden swerve.

The Dubai show has been postponed until next year. It was a hard decision, made by our backers in Dubai, and supported by the Sapana team here and in the UK. The decision was so hard in fact that it was only finally decided two weeks before the scheduled performance. We got the news, at first it was just impossible to believe. The previous week, I'd had to tell two of the performers that we had tried everything and we simply couldn't get their passports in time. Telling those two girls that they were not coming with us to Dubai was one of the hardest things I've had to do. Strangely, telling the whole group, that none of them were coming to Dubai, was much easier.

"We will be going to Dubai next year, and when we do, we will not leave anyone behind" It sounded great, went down well. Is it true? I sincerely bloody hope so.

This Dubai show was mentioned in the original job ad which led me to this project. It was part of that funny phone interview I had whilst walking through a train station in Brisbane, dreaming of mountains. Having no idea about geography in general, I had supposed that the whole of Nepal was situated on the sides of mountains, and was wondering to myself whether it would be better to walk downhill to work in the mornings and uphill to get home, or vice versa. Just like those mountains, the Dubai Show became a part of our landscape, a speck on the horizon, but one that was growing larger daily. Everything beyond it was small and blurry. And then, before it ever actually happened, it was gone.

There was no time to commiserate. We seized the opportunity to make the classes fun, new, exciting, to try new things. We had a spate of new volunteers, Jo Zealand, our clown and performance specialist, and Marawa, a.k.a. "Marawa the Amazing", the hula-hoop extraordinaire. The hoop trio were incredibly excited to learn some new skills from Marawa, as well as that all-important pizazz, and they have been creating a new hoop routine which will blow away audiences at the Summit Hotel and the Alliance Francaise next week. With four profesisonal circus trainers, our wonderful dance teacher Libby and the occasional help from our extras, we gave the training sessions a much needed energy boost. Outside of the training sessions, we planned for the future: A new business model and training plan, to take Sapana to the next level. We were joined for a week by Mark and Robyn from Floorless Productions, the group who were responsible for the initiation of the Sapana project back in August 2010. That week was a blur of meetings, photo shoots, training sessions, drinks and discussions, all set to the soundtrack of Jazzmandu, a week-long festival with indoor and outdoor music events, bringing excellent musicians from around the globe.

Now we have new direction and purpose, and a lot of work ahead. There are three shows confirmed and possibly a fourth, before the year is out. The Sapana crew have been learning some great new pyramids and branching out on some new skills. This morning fellow circus volunteer and old friend Shaun Plumtree left for Bhairahawa, to begin working on his first permaculture project, and in less than two weeks I must leave Nepal for visa reasons. Camille, a Swiss circus performer, came to training this week and will be adding her hand-to-hand expertise to the mix, and there are two more volunteer trainers on the way: Emma from Scotland and Regine from France. And in January I will return to Kathmandu and Sapana.


Photos by Craig Ferguson - www.craigfergusonimages.com

Charity circus show

2011-09-20T00:11:00.000-07:00

It has been another epic couple of weeks here at Sapana HQ. The show last Wednesday went so well, but we have no time to rest on our laurels, we forge ahead and prepare for the next show, bigger, better than ever.

Two or three weeks ago, I was offered a nice gig in Singapore, just for the weekend. Mime and juggling on a little podium for a big festival. What a strange experience, Kathmandu and Singapore couldn't be more different. There I was, confronted by cleanliness, order, roads where you wait for the light to go green before you cross rather than throwing yourself into the stream of traffic and letting the cars and motorbikes slip around you like fishes. When the green man appears, a little timer appears above him to tell you exactly how long you have to cross the road. At the festival, there were circus performers, puppeteers, opera singers and statue artists from around the world. Some were friends, most were friends of friends, that's how it goes. Good times were had with the corporate-gig-family, stories were exchanged, some of the jugglers had heard of our Nepali circus company and were very interested to find out more. Look out for Sapana, I told them, some day they will take the world by storm. Two days later, back on the plane. Arriving back in Kathmandu, my first mission was to reclaim Shaun's meteors: a circus prop which was confiscated at Kathmandu airport on my way to Singapore. There, at the Jet Airways office, I waited at the front door. One by one, the office staff came and waited too, and we laughed together in that hallway because no-one had a key to get in. After an hour, a lady came and let us all in. A man searched every drawer and cabinet twice, calling countless people before finding and returning the meteors. I could only laugh: good to be home. Straight to the micro and to work for Monday morning, I had been in the office for less than an hour when a reporter turned up to interview us about the show. Who knows what I said? I should have been in bed, but the show was on in one and a half weeks, Cambridge Rickshaw Theatre Project were arriving that evening, and on top of our rehearsals we had to teach two circus/theatre workshops at the British School.

The Cambridge Crew wasted no time, I met them on Tuesday morning, and we went straight to the school to run our workshops. Then to lunch at the Patan Durbar square for momos before heading straight to the refuge for their first day with the kids. They were a hit from the beginning, some highlights from that day included the game where groups of kids were turned into a single monster, and of course Nkoko's beautiful call-and-response song.

We had a double bill performance: the Cambridge Rickshaw Theatre Company working with the kids from the refuge, and Shaun and I performing with Sapana. How they managed to make a show in eight days, how we managed to get our circus show ready with so little rehearsal time, I will never understand. But regardless, the crowd loved it. I've always had a thing for trapdoors, so as the show opened, I crouched in complete darkness, trying not to get any dust on my costume. I waited under the stage and stayed very still whilst the audience entered and the speeches were given. Finally the show started, and I heard the thud, thud, thud, of the opening act. This thud was a walkover, and that series of thuds was a roundoff-backflick-kick-layout. Each thud came with it's own ooohs and aaahs, as the Sapana kids delighted the audience.

Around 400 people turned out to watch the show, and Shaun and I have keep getting recognised in the unlikeliest places. People keep asking when we are going to perform again. Our next stop is Dubai, but we're all keen to put on more shows, so stay tuned.

film night-morning

2011-08-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

We've been trying to organise a film night for the circus kids for so long now. We want to show them that circus is not what it used to be. Those big tops full of sawdust and elephant poo still exist, yes, but there is a lot more to circus these days. We want to nurture their creativity, so that we can come closer to giving them creative control over their circus company. People often say that Nepali people just aren't very creative, and when I hear this, I want to slap them. Then I decide not to slap them, but rather, to try and prove them wrong. We also want to give the kids a chance to do something different, something social, show them that it's not all just push-ups and handstands, painful stretches and continually picking up earthbound objects. After constant set-backs, cancellations and miscommunications, we managed to finally have our film night yesterday. In the morning.

They loved the videos, all of them. In that way, at least, we succeeded. Amazing to show them one of my favourite old clowns, George Carl, and see those Nepali kids just lose it. That's what it's all about, it's not exactly high-brow comedy, but the universality of clown is beautiful to behold (and to readers who hear the word clown, and think of Ronald Macdonald, or some other over-the-top technicolour nightmare, check out George Carl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0eAVjaQrUA ). It's funny to watch if you grew up in a middle-class family Hawthorn, Australia, and it's funny to watch if you were sold off to be a child-slave in India at the age of 5.

I'd pictured the film night as an opportunity for the kids to unwind and open up. A casual thing, you know, groups sitting around tables, maybe some couches, bowls full of nibbles on each little table. I'd imagined promoting dialogue by asking simple questions, getting to know what people think, letting the kids talk freely. I got to our venue at 9:30 a.m. to see that it was set up like a cinema: rows of seats, all facing forward. Oh well, I suppose they were only trying to help. Between video clips, I stood up there and made an idiot of myself, asking everyone what parts they liked, what parts they didn't like, trying to talk about the difference between contemporary circus and old-school circus, or trying to tell them that if there were any skills which they wanted to learn from what they saw, then we could work it out together. Everything I said was met with mystified silence. I might as well have been talking Swahili. It reminded me of way back when I studied physics, and would sit in those massive lecture halls, with that little lecturer rattling on about quantum theory, completely oblivious to the chorus of snores and text messages all around him. I felt very alone just then. Towards the end of the session I finally gave up and just snuck around the room, chatting to people individually. This worked much better, and I discovered many of the kids' secret aspirations, and fears. I was explaining to one of the girls that these acts take years to master, and she said something like "But you're going to go away in a few months anyway, like all of the volunteers". I replied that I'm going to stay for at least a year, and she seemed genuinely pleased. It felt good to say this, because I'd been trying to decide how long I'd like to stay for, but now that I've said this to the Sapana kids, I have to follow through with it.

Since that morning of the film-night-morning, I've been hitting the Nepali books hard, I'm determined to get enough fluency with Nepali that I can break down this language barrier. Then we can really start making progress towards building this company together.

Eye of the Storm

2011-08-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

photo from ICIMOD, by Shaun Plumtree

On the 14^th of September, Sapana will be performing at the British School. For the last two weeks, the kids have been busy with exams, and training has been off. It has been a truly hair-raising experience being so close to a performance, but not being able to actually rehearse or create material. Shaun has been making using the spare time to research and plan an upcoming Permaculture project, while I’ve managed to keep busy with the many unusual tasks that emerge organically from our office.

Now that exams are finally over, the kids have mostly returned to training and have to quickly get their performance hats on. In the creation of this performance, we will be collaborating with a social-theatre group called the Cambridge Rickshaw Theatre Project.

(http://rickshawtheatreproject2011.blogspot.com/)

As well as working with Sapana, they will be working with 30-40 of EBT’s rescued kids to create this show. We are keen to see how we can incorporate their knowledge of theatre, clown, puppetry, mask and music into this and potential future shows.

In helping to create Nepal’s first contemporary circus, we must often answer a difficult question: what is contemporary circus, actually? The easiest answer is that it is a reaction against traditional circus. Traditional circus has a colour scheme, a style of music, a big top tent, a particular act-by-act format, and of course, the animals. Contemporary circus ignores, avoids or even protests against these ideas, seeking inspiration from other artforms or from the world at large.

As a young discipline, it is easier to say what contemporary circus isn’t, than what it is. Cirque du Soleil have made their own mark on the style by creating vibrant worlds, with hordes of performers on stage at once, in abstract, colourful costumes, whilst musicians roam around, playing and singing in an invented language. Meanwhile Cirque Archaos from France performed in abandoned buildings and vacant lots, using large metal structures, cars, motorbikes and chainsaws and mock - decapitations to create an entirely different experience: visceral shows that were seen, heard and smelt. In Australia, we have Circus Oz, for whom nothing is beyond ridicule. Traditional circus elements will be used satirically, or even to make political statements (for example the human cannonball act which was, in one show, used to highlight Australia’s dubious immigration policy, and of course the minister for immigration was invited to opening night). More than any particular style, it is the individuality of each company that stands out, and it is this individuality which makes contemporary circus so exciting to watch, and sees its popularity grow across the world.

For us, working with CRTP is a valuable step. My vision is to see Sapana burst onto stages throughout Nepal and the world, with shows that the express the individuality of its members, their personalities, their energy and their freedom. By collaborating with other companies across other forms of physical theatre and self-expression, I feel that we are coming closer to this.

The long awaited photos

2011-08-04T00:53:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the previous blog, we ran a trial workshop a few weeks ago, at a transitional centre run by Kathmandu-based organisation Just One. We treated it like a pilot workshop, to look at the potential for doing some more social circus work. On the way there, I grumbled to Eli that we had talked ourselves into working on Saturdays, but as we left, we both agreed that there was no better way to spend a Saturday than to laugh, dance, make things, juggle, hula hoop and play games. We have now made plans to run fortnightly Saturday workshops at this transitional centre in Khusibu.

We didn't ask the kids to hold hands, but since they did anyway, we turned it into a game, sending a body-wave around the group. Fortunately, there were some avid hip hop dancers among the group, so this didn't take much explaining.

Name jump is a great drama game, which teaches principles of complicite and improvisation. It's also an excellent game for people who have trouble remembering names.

Meanwhile, back in the lab...

After learning my initial juggling-ball making technique (little bag, rice, balloons), the kids quickly improvised and added their own ideas to the process.

Some were eager to show off their juggling skills, while others were more concerned with making the most colourful possible juggling balls. The Nepali word for colourful, rangi changi, is one of my favourites.

The very first trick a juggler should learn is how to drop the balls, pick them up, and try again.

This was me quickly practicing before the kids got back, because I actually had no idea if my plan for the hula hoop making session would work.

Eli and I like to invent new drama games which help us to learn the language. In this one, when we call out different words, the kids must freeze in a certain shape. This is what they do when we call out 'sangla'

We let the kids go wild with our rangi changi tape, to decorate their own rangi changi hoops.

Eli's dance routine was very popular. Eli had neglected to warn me that at one point in the routine I would have to pretend to be a monkey and scare the children away. Luckily I'm more inclined to act like a monkey than your average person.

Old friends, new friends

2011-07-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

In Kathmandu, we the volunteers live in a community that is continuously shifting and changing. Familiar faces depart and new ones arrive in an unpredictable yet constant pattern. It makes a nice change when an old friend arrives. Last week we were joined by Shaun Plumtree, a fellow Australian circus performer who, like me, came here following the dream of working with a company like Sapana. Social circus - circus training that is used for personal empowerment, healing and community building - is something that we have both had a lot of experience in. It is a rare opportunity to do social circus work with a group with such skill and enthusiasm. The trainers here all agree that Sapana has the potential to grow into a world-renowned circus company. Shaun and I have been friends for six years, and have worked together in one way or another for most of that time. Arriving last Thursday, he has hit the ground running. In his first class with the Sapana group he showed Sheetal and Shital some new aerial silks moves, including a nice drop he'd invented. In the second, we made use of Shaun's knowledge of aerial hoop and rigging, so that now Pramilla and Sharmilla can add spinning and swinging to their hoop routines.

Shaun has also made plans to contribute to EBT's other projects, using his photography skills to help put together a jewellery catalogue, and his knowledge of integrated farming to help in some community development projects. Remarkably, he has managed to incorporate his three passions (circus, photography and permaculture) into his volunteer role at EBT in less that one week!

Eluned will be leaving us in two weeks, to continue her overland journey. She has been great to work with, and her circus and dance expertise has been an excellent addition to Sapana's training. It will be sad to see her go, but we will be wishing her all the best on her epic journey. For the next two weeks, we will make the most of having three professional circus trainers on board, as well as our ever-helpful volunteers. The next several classes are going to be action-packed.

Meanwhile, preparation continues. Days are filled in the office, planning lessons, projects and events, keeping regular contact with our people in the UK, researching, or escaping to go on missions around Kathmandu, to find, fix or make new equipment. Highlights include sitting on the back of a motorbike, holding a pair of stilts like jousting-poles as we looked for a metal-worker who could make us another pair.

Two weeks ago, Eluned and I visited a transitional centre near the monkey temple, to explore the possibility of doing social circus work with the children there. We came back a few days later with balloons, rice, poly-pipe, and coloured tape, to do an all day workshop with the kids there. After teaching the kids how to make cheap and effective hula-hoops and juggling balls, we taught them how to use them. We ended the day with dance and drama games, and everyone had a lot of fun. After the success of this pilot-project, we are planning to run fortnightly circus workshops there. We are considering the idea of bringing some of the Sapana performance troupe along to help. It will be valuable teaching experience for them, as most professional circus performers I know end up padding out their unpredictable incomes by working as circus teachers. Also, the Sapana group would be great role-models.

We had a surprise visit yesterday from Tristan, our key sponsor for the Dubai show. After meeting with us, he came and visited the Sapana performers at the refuge, to deliver a rousing speech about the future of the group. He speaks excellent Nepali, unlike me, and even though I understood only a little of what was said, the effect it had was clearly visible. As he spoke, the faces around the table began to lift and shine with inspiration, and everyone left feeling really positive about the upcoming show. We took the opportunity to bring over some hula hoops that we'd made with our leftover materials. I look forward to being able to set the hula hoop girls some homework.

So, as always, opportunities seem to be flying through the air like raindrops in a monsoon. Exciting times ahead.

Namaste

2011-07-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the latest of the volunteer circus trainers, Ivan and Eluned. Ivan here, I'll be looking after the Sapana Circus blog for the time being. Two weeks ago, I arrived in Kathmandu, all the way from Sunny Brisbane, after hearing about the opportunity to work with Sapana and being truly inspired by their story. I had little idea what I was getting myself in for, although I did know that with one week to learn the ropes before Zoe made her way back to the UK, I would really have to hit the ground running. I was pleased to discover that another volunteer trainer, with extensive experience in dance, aerials and social circus, was arriving that same weekend. It has been a hectic two weeks. As well as bothering Zoe with constant questions up until she left, we have been meeting the rest of the EBT team, learning how to find our way around nameless streets, haggling with the bus and taxi drivers, moving from the office into our temporary home up in the beautiful hills of Godawari, and creating a training schedule around the many performances and opportunities that are popping up, and all the while trying to make each circus class as productive, engaging and fun as possible.

Last Monday I asked the Sapana performers to show me some of the pyramids they've learned so far. They grumbled and made excuses for a while, and so I asked if perhaps they'd like to do some more handstand conditioning instead. Presto!

Once they'd warmed to the idea, we started trying some different shapes, and I showed them a few advanced acrobalance positions which they picked up almost instantly. As a circus trainer, it's such a rare blessing to work with students that have so much talent and raw potential, and are at the same time so humble and friendly. We have a lot of work to do to get ready for the upcoming shows, but I feel confident that the Sapana crew will knock the audience's socks off.

On top of the performance in Dubai this coming October, Sapana will also be performing at the British Embassy on the 14th of September, with the help of Cambridge based group Rickshaw Theatre. There are several other smaller opportunities in the pipeline, so it looks like we're going to be really busy. Luckily, the next two months will see a number of incoming circus volunteers, two of whom are friends and fellow graduates of the National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne, Australia.

Kathmandone!

2011-06-30T03:40:00.000-07:00

So this will be my last posting for the Sapana blog. I leave Kathmandu tomorrow to go back to London. I am very sad to go, especially since I didn’t get to see all of the kids and say goodbye to them before I left. This week there have only been five attending the training sessions as the rest have gone back to their respective villages to get their identity cards in order to be issued passports. But, this is obviously a very important step to go to Dubai in October.

Last week we received Ivan (from Australia) and Eluned (from the UK), the two newest circus volunteers. Ivan will be staying with us for three months but potentially for up to five months, and Eluned will be here just over one month. Ivan trained at NICA and although he is a trained juggler/manipulator he also knows quite a lot of acrobatics, hand-to-hand and corde lisse. Eluned originally trained at Circomedia and has since gone on to complete a dance degree. We’re all really excited to have both of their skill sets and the Sapana group has already been very kind and welcoming to them.

In my last days in Nepal I have been handing-over my work to Ivan and Eluned (no I didn't go on holiday in the end), brainstorming lesson plans and ideas for shows and just generally filling them in on the ins and outs of how everything works here in Kathmandu. We finally bought a lock-box for the equipment in the gym and we visited the British Embassy on Tuesday where we are hoping to stage a fundraising show in September.

On Wednesday, Tristan (who is sponsoring the show in Dubai) came along to training and was able to visit a bit with the kids. They were all really pleased to see him again, and as he speaks Nepali it’s obviously very easy for him to communicate!

Handstand class with Ivan and Eluned

Sheetal having a rest after running her silks routine

Tristan trying out some hula-hoop moves

The entire Sapana group is advancing in their various disciplines but the crunch time will be in the next few months leading up to the Dubai trip. Tensions will run high, stress will creep in, and managing circus and school will become more complicated. I will be watching their progress from abroad, rooting them on and wishing them the best of luck for October. I have every confidence in them and I know they will be fantastic.

I have enjoyed this project so much and in a way that I never expected. This group of young people is so fantastically talented and they are such great kids, I will miss them immensely.

I’m not leaving! (Trying to hide out in the newly purchased lock box...)

I now hand this blog over into the capable hands of Ivan who will carry on the updates for the next few months.

Zoe x

Back to Business as Usual…

2011-06-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

So now that the excitement of the British School show has worn off, we have gone back to our normal training regime—Pramila and Sharmila on aerial hoop, the “Sittals” on silks, the boys doing group acrobatics, and Anjali, Doli and Saraswati practising hula hoops. These days I’ve been having quite a lot of extra help from local volunteers which is great! Peadar, a juggler from Ireland who is based in Kathmandu with his wife, has been helping me on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. Because of a recent back injury, he is not really able to participate physically but his presence has been of invaluable help as he has been overseeing the work that the two Sittals are doing on aerial silks. Sometimes I can’t spread myself thinly enough and I notice that they are perfectly happy to sit and gaze out the window of the gym unless someone is there to encourage them to continue working hard!

Megan also comes to help twice a week; either supervise the hula hoop training, or the acrobatics; teaching a bit of hip-hop dancing to compliment the boys’ break-dancing tricks. This Saturday Megan managed to accompany me and Anya to the refuge in Godawari to help with the ballet class.

Our resident ballet teacher, Anya, has not only been teaching the kids dance classes on Saturdays (both to the Sapana group and the other kids housed at the refuge) but she has also been attending most of the weekly sessions to lend a helping hand. Anya was previously trained as a gymnast, which is fantastic as I can leave her on her own to work acrobatic basics with the students that need extra attention.

I have been spending much of my time supervising the aerial hoop training, trying to find some interesting doubles hoop figures for Pramila and Sharmila. They both work hard but they’re not used to being two on a hoop so things are still quite clunky and awkward at the moment. Although what will be included in October’s show has not yet been finalised, I really hope that they will be able to show off some of their newly learned skills in Dubai.

Here is a video and some pictures of Saturday’s ballet class. It was so cute to watch all the kids in rapt attention of Anya, trying to mimic her turned out feet and arm positions. After the technical class she taught them a choreographed dance set to hip-hop music which they all really seemed to enjoy.

After ballet class on Saturday, Anya, Megan, Fiona, Noah (two other EBT volunteers) and I went for a walk in the hills of Godawari. Along the way we stopped at the EBT mosaic workshop. It was fascinating to watch the employees hard at work on their intricate designs.

We then set off on a gruelling five-hour hike up to the ridge which Noah assured us would only take two hours...ahem. It was worth it, though, and it was truly beautiful. I haven’t had that many chances to get out of Kathmandu so I really appreciated the fresh air, the views, and the quiet (no horns beeping, crazy dogs barking, or fruit sellers squawking...)

Only two weeks remain to my time here in Nepal. I am very sad to leave. I’m hoping to get away and do a short trek or at least visit Pokhara. We’ll see though—both time and money are running out!!

Zoe x

Australians and Angels in America

2011-06-06T01:53:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday’s show at the British School was fantastically received. The assembly hall was packed (and very hot!) mostly with children and their parents. Sapana arrived around 2 pm to do a quick rehearsal and to check the sound and lights. The group seemed pretty nervous and wanted to do the run with the curtains closed! The Australian circus group, The Roof of the World, arrived shortly after we did—unfortunately they were one cast member down due to a sudden stomach upset… After a quick word from EBT’s director, Philip Holmes, the show began, the curtains opening to all of Sapana’s girls unfurling in a group balance which revealed Pramila (the group’s most recent addition).

The rest of Sapana’s performance went off without a hitch eliciting many delighted gasps and ruptures of applause from the audience. The Roof of the World performed immediately after us showcasing their various talents (poi-swinging, mime, magic, clowning and stilt-walking). The children giggled hysterically at the clowning and were suitably impressed by the magic tricks and the stilt-walker.

Here's the link to the article covering Sapana and the Roof of the World in the Himalayan Times this weekend. http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Dreams+of+better+tomorrow&NewsID=290474

We all went out for ice-cream to celebrate after the show, getting our cold treats in batches as the café didn’t have enough bowls to accommodate us all. The kids seemed happy and proud of themselves for performing in front of such a big audience. About 400 people showed up which makes the biggest crowd that Sapana has performed in front of to date!

On Saturday, Anya, the dancer who is volunteering her time to teach ballet to the Sapana kids, was finally able to give her dance class at the refuge in Godawari. The room is tiny and hardly large enough to run a ballet class but she managed somehow! All the kids enjoyed it and although they were laughing at themselves attempting to be graceful ballerinas, they also took it very seriously, trying to copy Anya’s form exactly.

As well as organising the show at the British School, I have been busy performing every night at the Nepal Tourism Board, playing the role of the “angel” in a production of Angels in America directed by American Deborah Merola. I offered my time in exchange for some publicity and fundraising opportunity for Sapana. I've stuffed over 500 envelopes with information about Sapana and EBT in order for it to be included with the programmes!

I've been rushing off each night to arrive for the 3^rd act, just in time for my two short cameos. It has been interesting albeit tiring work but it's all worth it if we can raise awareness about Sapana in the Kathmandu performing arts and theatre scene.

I have been feeling quite sad recently as I now have to wrap up my time here in Kathmandu. I leave three weeks from tomorrow and will spend these last few weeks training with the kids on their various disciplines. Now that I’ve been here this long, I don’t feel like going home! It will be quite a culture shock to go back to the UK and I will really miss each and every member of Sapana...

In two weeks time we receive Ivan, the latest circus volunteer from Australia. I will have about a week with him before I leave to show him the ropes. He will be joined by another colleague from down under in July and the two of them together will be responsible for readying Sapana for their big Dubai premiere in October.

I hope to write a few more post before I go after which time the next volunteer will take over this blog.

Zoe x

The British School Performance, bandhs and ballet

2011-05-26T04:09:00.000-07:00

So, this has been quite a busy week for me and for Sapana. I was put in contact with the Roof of the World Tour (http://www.roofoftheworldtour.com.au/ ), a circus troupe from Australia and New Zealand who are just finishing up a 50-day tour of the Solukhumbu region of Nepal. They have kindly offered to join Sapana for a one-off fundraising performance which will be held in the assembly hall at the British School (two minutes walk from the EBT office). Since then I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, meeting with the headmistress of TBS, compiling a press release and contacting reporters, and posting fliers around cafes, restaurants and hotels in the neighbourhood.

The civil unrest hasn't helped me get things done quickly... It seems that every other day there is a bandh (strike) which means that all shops are shut and vehicle traffic (even bicycles!) is not allowed on the roads, grr… It also means that the kids cannot come down to the Bulls Club for training which is absolutely crucial at the moment since we are trying to rehearse for next week's performance. I can only hope that we are ready when Thursday rolls around!!

We are happy that Anya, a trained dancer who is in Nepal working for the UN, has offered to give her time on Saturdays to teach the Sapana group some ballet. She and I went to Godawari last weekend to see the room she'll be using to give classes and also for me to be able to show the kids some contemporary circus videos. It was great to watch their faces as they were clearly awed and inspired by performers on the screen. We are looking forward to starting the ballet classes this coming Saturday.

At Monday's training we had a reporter from the Himalayan Times come along to interview some of the kids for a follow-up story on last month's Book-a-Bee event. We anticipate the story to be published this weekend which will give some nice coverage on Sapana preceding British School performance.

Wednesday was spent rehearsing the acts that we will present on the 2^nd of June. It's been hard work because I have to include two new members into the group acts, Pramila and Anjali. Because of the language barrier we end up spending a lot of time sitting around talking, as what I say has to be translated and then passed around the group. Not to mention the discussion of everyone's opinion about why and how we should be doing things. It can be quite frustrating at times, especially when I'm aware that we only have three more training sessions before the show!

There is a bandh scheduled to take place tomorrow, which I sincerely hope will be canceled as we cannot afford to lose any more days training.

Fingers crossed!!

Zoe x

Strikes and stuff...

2011-05-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

We were all really looking forward to last week's training since Sky is here and can give some direction and lend a helping hand. On Monday we cast the group for the show in Dubai. There were some very happy faces, some disappointed, and some just plain unreadable! When I asked how they felt about the casting, one of the girls answered in a very expressionless voice, “We’re all just so excited.” That made us laugh but that’s just the Nepali way!

We have two new additions as of last month, Pramila and Anjali, so we've had to find a way to slot them into the new show. Pramila will be joining Sharmila in aerial hoop training and we’re hoping to get them doing some nice doubles work. Anjali will be hula-hooping along with Saraswati and Dolly. The boys are concentrating on group acrobatics, break-dance and martial arts, and the two Shitals are working on a silks routine.

On Friday we were all set to get working with the group in their new roles but we found out that there was a nation-wide strike (there is a general dissatisfaction with the government amongst the Nepali people) which meant that no vehicle traffic was allowed on the roads and all the shops were closed. The kids couldn’t make it down from Godawari so we weren’t able to train. Situations like this are extremely frustrating because we don’t have that much training time as it is but to have it reduced unnecessarily is maddening!

At the weekend Sky, Fiona (the jewelry project volunteer) and I went with some of the girls from the refuge to Swayambhu, a Buddhist temple known more commonly as Monkey Temple. Although it is a breath-taking sight atop a hill that overlooks all of Kathmandu, the girls seemed more interested in the monkeys than anything else. They really were cheeky monkeys though—they stole two bags of candy floss right out of the girls’ hands!

This week we’ve been focusing on getting a many tasks done before Sky goes back to the UK on Wednesday. I spent most of Monday making new hula hoops and measuring the entire Sapana group for costumes which will be made for them back in the UK. Sky finished outlining the silks routine which the aerialists will be able to work on in the upcoming weeks and months.

After Sky leaves I will be on my own for a while until we can get another volunteer. We hope this will happen quite soon but probably still not before mid-June.

Comings and goings

2011-05-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

So Maddie left yesterday, which was sad for me and for the kids. During her 3 months here in Kathmandu working with Sapana she has really created a concrete training structure for the young people to follow. It has been great working with her for the last month making the handover period smooth and stress-free. It will be harder to manage the training sessions without her here but we are hoping to get another volunteer out here as soon as possible.

For Maddie's last day we went up to the reguge in Godawari to spend the day with the girls. Sky was interviewing on site in order to finish up the documentary that she is making about Sapana. Maddie was also interviewed with Lalita by her side to the rapt attention of the other girls.

Maddie was later surrounded by the girls and made up like a Nepali princess (I, luckily escaped unscathed...) complete with a kurta and high heels. They also tried to shove a jeweled bangle (which was about 5 sizes too small) onto her wrist before giving up and putting into her hair instead.

So it's back to training this week, thankfully Sky will be around to help with the aerial training. We are talking a lot about the structure of the Dubai show, workshopping story ideas with the kids and trying to get their input as much as possible so that this really feels like their own company. They are very creative but we need to create a forum that feels safe and secure so that they can discuss their ideas openly and honestly.

Thanks for following, it's all very exciting!

Brand new blog!

2011-05-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Although Sapana Contemporary Circus has been going since August of 2010 it does not as of yet have its own dedicated website. Until it does (hopefully very soon!) this blog will serve as a way for you all to follow our progress, get updates about our training, performances and any new developments to the company!

Currently, myself (Zoe Jones) and Maddie McGowan are volunteering here in Kathmandu training with the Sapana teenagers at the Bulls Club on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5-7pm. Maddie leaves on Sunday after which time I will be on my own until my volunteering period is up at the beginning of July. We are hoping that Zazie Zeff will be able to come back in July for 3 months to take up where I left off but as of yet she is not yet sure if she will be able. I've been sending out emails by the ton trying to find someone who would like to come and volunteer for this amazing project. We are hoping to get some responses very soon. (Pass on the word if you know anyone who would like to come out to Nepal!!!)

On Sunday the 24th a group of German tourists came to visit the refuge in Godawari and the Sapana group was able to peform two short acrobatic pieces for them. They recently performed both of the acts (one girls' acro and one boys') at the Book-a-Bee Event last month. This was a good opportunity for the group to practise performing and to hone their group acrobatic skills. Here are a few photos from that Sunday.

Sky arrives to Kathmandu today for a short visit. We are all very happy to have her and to be able to brainstorm together before Maddie leaves. All the teenagers are really excited to see her again and to be able to show off their newly acquired aerial skills (thanks to Maddie!)

We've also had Megan joining us for training sessions (she teaches English here full-time and is trained in contemporary dance) and she's been teaching the kids some hip-hop dancing. They are loving it although it was a bit difficult to follow at the end of training when the power was cut and we were left in the dark!

Keep checking back here for more updates and photos!

Zoe x