| | |  Entertainment | April 2009 
Learning to 'Fly' at the Circus
 Lauren Villagran - The News
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Andrea Peláez hangs like a spider from the ceiling of a circus tent.
The petite 31-year-old has wrapped herself up in "aerial silks" - two long, stretchy curtains - from which she spins and creates a dance, suspended in midair. When finished, she gracefully unravels herself from the tangle and touches the ground with pointed toes.
She is the co-founder of Cirko de Mente, one of Mexico City's new contemporary circuses that combine traditional circus feats of strength with elements of dance and theater. Several contemporary circus performances and workshops open to the public are on the docket for April.
Contemporary circus includes balancing acts on tightropes or Chinese poles, trapeze, clowning and juggling. It tends to eschew animal acts, pushing instead the limits of human exploits. Peláez, a dancer and choreographer, specializes in aerial acrobatics with silks and trapeze.
"Contemporary circus is more a theatrical expression than entertainment," she said during a break in rehearsals at the Karpa de Mente, an imposing rainbow-colored circus tent set up in the parking lot of the Museo Die-go Rivera Anahuacalli in Coyoacán. "It is an art of the stage that includes dance, visuals and music to create something of the vanguard, something more than just physical virtuosity."
Although virtuosity is certainly present. When Peláez or her students work with aerial silks, they rely on strength, skill and technique; there are no harnesses, nets or cushions to break a fall.
Armando Lizárraga, the 34-year-old founder of Otro Circo, which is also known as Circo de Vicio, has a theory: "If you want to see something beautiful, go to the ballet; something that makes you think, go to the theater; something that no one else can do, go to the circus."
In the red-orange light beneath Cirko de Mente's tent, a group of students belonging to the school of the Centro Nacional de las Artes, or CNA, rehearse an upcoming contemporary circus show.
A survey of the ring turns up three clowns practicing their goofball act, a woman cracking a 10-foot whip across the floor, another woman wobbling across a tightrope and several others tied up in silks and working out the kinks in their aerial routine.
Contemporary circus "has proposed to combine circus arts with theater by introducing concepts and linear stories," said Federico Serrano, director of promotion for Circo Atayde, one of Mexico's oldest traditional circuses. "But basically the discipline remains the same."
For example, Cirko de Mente performs a show called "Todos Somos Roger" ("Everyone Is Roger") which tells the story of four patients in a psychiatric hospital through circus arts such as juggling and without the use of dialogue.
Montreal's famed Cirque du Soleil brought the concept of contemporary circus to the masses, Peláez said.
Circo Atayde has worked with several of Mexico City's young contemporary circuses including Cirko de Mente, Otro Circo and Circo Sentido as well as with groups who perform what could be considered the indigenous circus arts of Mexico - the most famous of those artists being the Vo-ladores de Papantla (Papantla Flyers) from Veracruz.
"Mexico has a thousand years' old tradition of acrobatics," said Serrano, adding that Circo Atayde is working to create "a dialogue among [performers of] contemporary circus, classical circus and indigenous acrobatics."
WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE
Contemporary circus workshops are available at several spots around town. Otro Circo has permanent classes on weekdays under a small tent near the center of Coyoacán. Cirko de Mente offers a range of workshops with master teachers from Europe and elsewhere, as well as regular classes in juggling for beginners and miming.
"I began with classes in Chinese poles and trapeze," said Solene Albores Mantoy, who is 23 and a member of Otro Circo's performing company. "When you like it, you forget your fear. It's awfully addictive."
Working with aerial silks, for example, "takes patience, resistance, control, strength and risk," said 23-year-old Fania Barrón, who has been practicing with silks for one year and will perform at the CNA's upcoming student show, "Tres Héroes."
Peláez recalls when she first began to learn to dance with aerial silks eight years ago.
"In the beginning you have to face your fears," she said.
"Once you do, you feel that you can do more and more and more. The impossible becomes possible. I discovered it was possible to fly."
Upcoming performances:
April 29
Cirko de Mente performs "Todos Somos Roger" at the Foro Sor Juana, and Cirko de Mente's Andrea Peláez performs an aerial act outside Bellas Artes as part of the International Dance Day. For more information, visit cirkodemente.blogspot.com/.
April 30
Students of the Escuela Nacional de Arte Teatral and the Escuela Nacional de Danza Clásica y Contemporánea perform "Tres Héroes" at the Teatro Raúl Flores Canelo at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
April 23-May 3
Circo Atayde presents "Circo Atayde Music Hall" - its first theatrical performance - in the Pabellón de Alta Tecnología. For more information call 5424-0909 or 5424-1111, or visit www.circoatayde.com.
Classes and workshops:
cirkodemente.blogspot.com
www.otrocirco.com
www.circosentido.com.mx |
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