The British School Performance, bandhs and ballet - Zoe (UK)

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... - Zoe (UK)

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 - Zoe (UK)

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! Zoe (UK)

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