Circo de los Niños 2017 - Behind the Scenes

The Circus de los Niños program the kids have been participating in once again had their annual series of shows in March.  This is the program's big fundraiser production.  With the exception of  summer the kids train eagerly 2-5 days a week with the program.  This year's performance, the kid's 3rd, was spectacular as usual.

The amount of time and energy all the children, organizers, trainers, volunteers and parents need to put into this show is totally nuts.  This year's commitment was bigger than year's passed which I complained about often since it dominated our lives week after week after week. So much so that the kids had to give up their other interests and activities.  This session "Circo" did not even have space for new children to join the program.  Waiting list only.

This video follows the final practice days leading up to the performance and the action during performance week.  Really kind of enlightening seeing things behind the scenes.  Once spring break is over the kids will be back at it for 10 more weeks of Circo before summer vacation begins.  Such is life in small town Mexico.


Making Of_Sueño de una noche de verano_2017 from Monique Voyer on Vimeo.

Circo 2016 - How Did We Forget?

March 2016!  Months ago and we just found this set of photos.  We have posted about the kid's Circo de los Niños program in San Pancho before and the big performance that is produced each year.  We lost track of this post and but figured we'd put it out there since the photos were so fantastic.(Looking at our blog's "draft" file, we have lost track of several posts along the way)  The performances were done on three stages and the audience was asked to move to three separate sets to enjoy the show.  A unique setting to say the least but once again the professional production, costumes and colorful sets(including a pirate ship hanging from the ceiling) were amazing!  Their second full year in the program, the kids were a little more involved as far as stage time this year so that was fun for us.  It is a challenge to sometimes pick out our own kids in full costume or any of the many kids we know from San Pancho and Sayulita.  Lots of dedication, time and training is given to this program so it is a  "all in" type of activity.  If you cannot commit to the program then there will most likely be someone who wants in.  Again, another fantastic program in small town Mexico.

Alex and Trace

Trace getting ready

Trace

Trace on the right

Alex on the left and Summer

Poor Trace was so exaughsted each night when he got home.  He just collapsed on the kitchen floor and tried to eat his dinner.

Circo de los Niños

This post is a long time coming but in reality the training for the Circo del los Niños  program continued until a few weeks ago.

The Circo de los Niños program in San Pancho is how we pretty much spent the first three months of the year.  What is it?  It is best described from their website.

In 2011, Cirque du Soleil co-founder and Creative Guide Gilles Ste-Croix and his wife Monique Voyer approached Entreamigos ( a community center and educational program) with the idea of creating a circus show with the children of San Pancho. With help of some friends from Canada, Cirrus Cirkus, Cirque du Soleil’s program Circo del Mundo who donate some equipments, and the help of 100’s local volunteers, the first Circo de Los Niños Show was presented on March 2011 as a fundraising for Entreamigos.

In the summer 2014, we requested the use of an old warehouse in the village from The Nayarit Government to set up the Circo de los Niños program. Entreamigos had previously housed the project since 2011, but the space had become too small with all the new circus equipment. After an elaborate refitting, the new Bodega Circo opened at the end of October. New teachers were hired to implement a revised teaching program and 67 students registered for the first cycle.

The kids joined the program in January and trained for 3 months for the big production that occurred just before spring break.  Everyone of all skill levels is welcome.  For three to five days a week the kids reported to the new training facility for practice.  They learned tumbling, trampoline, acrobatics, trapeze, slack line and more.  The hierarchy of who does what is decided on who has been in the program for the longest and developed a certain level of skill.  In other words, for the kid's first production the kids did not do too much while the kids who had been in the program since it's creation a few years ago featured prominently in the show.  Lots of work for very little stage time but that is the nature of things.  If you want to do the coolest things and a place in the spotlight then you have to pay your dues for a while.  A good lesson and obvious when you see some of the kids flipping through the air and some having a hard time doing a somersault.  I think Alex loved the costumes and glam of the whole thing while Trace was a little frustrated he needed to be hanging around and waiting to practice the part of the show he was involved with but was glad to be there with his buddies every training session.  When there was action to be had he enjoyed it.  The photos here are from a variety of amazing photographers and clearly some of our own.  

The cast.

Alex backstage.

Trace gets his makeup.

Volunteers keep the kids busy while waiting backstage.

Rehearsal.  Trace in the foreground.

Alex backstage stretching.

Trace backstage.  Yes, this is our son.

Alex backstage at the wardrobe area.

The Circo bodega entrance.

Alex after the final show.

Trace after the final show.

Entertainment outside the venue while waiting to be seated.

Amazing costumes.

Stilt walker outside the performance.

Alex with new and old friends backstage.

Lights, smoke, costumes.

The Circo de los Niños website gallery has an amazing collection of pro shots of the performances that ran for a total of four days so be sure to check those out.  They will certain give you an appreciation of the scope and size of the production beyond the handful of photos of our kids here.  Once the performances were over and the kids, parents and amazing volunteers had a chance to catch their breath, training resumed for the remainder of the school year.  With no performance looming at the end of the training period, the kids were full on training for two months learning even more skills.  Trace preferred the acrobatics since it related well to his love of Capoeira and Alex like the trapeze and silks.

Trace on the slack line, working hard.

Alex acrobatic training.

Trace and his buddies on the silks.

 ...and so it goes in small town Mexico.  I have said it before but the amount and quality of programming offered to kids in the local area is amazing.  It could easily just be limited to surfing and soccer.  To be able to train in a facility like this, get quality coaching and be involved in a production on this level is ridiculously fantastic!  Our kids did not stand still very often the past six months but deserved it when they did.  Training will start up again once school starts and I am sure they will be eager to return to the Bodega Circo and learn new things.

"Those Parents"

I have always been in amazement at "those parents" who schedule their kids every afternoon for activities every single day of the week.  School gets out, the kids gobble down some energy and off they go doing whatever they do for part or all of the afternoon.  I wondered, do the kids ever get down time or an opportunity to actually develop the skills to keep themselves occupied?   Do they just follow orders and report for the next activity whether they want to or not?  Are the parents scared to have them at home doing...gasp...nothing?

Well, my thoughts on this have changed a bit in the past few weeks.  I have come to realize that the kids are older now, can do and handle more activity.  They want to do it all.  I have also come to realize that nothing can compare to what this little corner of the world can offer them each day.  So, unintentionally we are totally loaded up each and every day of the week with the coolest and rewarding of activities.  Even better is that all instruction is totally in Spanish.  Here is what is on tap for the next few months.  Each with it's own link.

Capoeira  
I am proud to say that the kids have been in the Capoeira program for over a year and a half and will be graduating again in March at this year's Batizado.  I really like this program and hope they continue with it with all the programs that are out there competing for the kid's time.  It is unique and the group of kids, coaching and conditioning are all amazing.  Certainly without the skills they have learned during their time with Capoeira they would have had a tough time diving into other things.

Alex aims for the knock out kick.

Celebrate the Beat
Alex goes it alone with this one and returns again this year at special invitation from the instructor.  Where Alex learned to dance is a mystery and her ability to control her body, keep the rhythm and remember all the moves is beyond me.  This a fantastic program for kids of all abilities and again, the instruction is fantastic!  We love that she gets to do this.

Entre Amigos Art Program
This one was unexpected and again Alex is attending by special invitation.  She submitted a painting for an art contest at Entre Amigos which is the community center in San Pancho.  For each age group the Entre Amigos staff selected a handful of submissions and those kids were given free art classes to learn new techniques for the next round of competition.  Cool!  Alex is way into it and she gets to take class with one of her good San Pancho friends too.

Alex and Adesha listen to the results.  Yes, Ozzy is in the back row.

Circo de los Niños

This one is really cool!  Circo De Los Niños is yet another offering at Entre Amigos.  You can click on the link to read about the program on the website but here is the short version.  In 2011, Cirque du Soleil co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix approached Entre Amigos with the idea of creating a circus show with the children of San Pancho.

The program basically takes kids out of the community and provides them with training and equipment so they eventually take part in a performance designed, sponsored and choreographed by Gilles Set-Croix and his wife.  It has become a huge fund raiser for Entre Amigos and we attended the performance last year.  It was great!!  Lights, costumes, make up, music, a packed house and we knew many of the kids from school and around town here in Sayulita. Alex and Trace are both in the beginner program this year and a whole portion of the Entre Amigos bodega complex has been rehabbed to accommodate the program permanently.

What is there to do in small town Mexico?  Just soccer and go to the beach right?  Think again!  All of these programs take place in San Pancho so we will be spending a lot of time there for the coming months until each of the programs comes to a climax in late March.  It's going to be a busy time for sure.