1906~ A Day in the Life of Velocity Circus

2011-05-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since i have blogged. Lots of life changes, moved to Superior Arizona near where i was born and raised, opened a cafe, began forging new relationships and work in a new community and began remodeling an old adobe house to call home. I reflect back on Mizuta Mashide, the 17th century Japanese Poet and samurai, wrote the following haiku: " Since my house burned down/ I now own a better view/of the rising moon."

This haiku hits close to how i see my old and new worlds, their realities and the gifts of understanding how change is constant and to surrender to the flow of change is healing. There are moments where I feel I have woken up on the embankment of a torrid rushing river wondering what happened and how I arrived, looking up the river only to see a place in the past too hard to get too and too overwhelming to think about, when these feelings rush upon me I only have to look up towards the sky or reach towards nature and plants to ground myself again. For it is the plants and nature that have become my new reality.

I left the streets of San Francisco, the cable cars, the people, the wonderful smells, the art, the social awareness and my dear friends to be closer to the plants. It is through them that I find the answers to my hard and painful questions. It is in their new buds and decaying flowers that life has meaning and when the light of a brilliant sunset shines through new leaves and creeps upon and shadows the colored earth, i am breathless and I know as Dolly once wrote "wildflowers don't care where they grow".

I have been studying plant medicine since before i left San Francisco. Boyce Thompson Arboretum which is 3 miles from my home has been a gentle place for me to hike, reflect, learn and understand our relationship to plants and their intrinsic value to our future and especially in healing our bodies away from the disease and environmental apathy.

I am preparing my home for a dear friend Eda Zevala Lopez a Peruvian Medicine Woman and Amazon Rain forest Activist who will be spending a few weeks with me here in Superior AZ, teaching me more about plant medicine, performing healing ceremonies with local Native American Tribes, conducting regional lectures and workshops on plant medicine, her culture and work with indigenous people. She invited me last year to Peru but I got caught up in opening the new business and relocating to AZ. As things settle here in AZ Eda and I will be planning an extended trip for me to her village in Tarapoto Peru where her and her brother founded a healing center. Here I will continue my studies of plant medicine.

change the one constant in life.....blessings to you my friends!

2009-02-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

Velocity Circus - Heliopolis

by Tania Seabock

I have been anticipating seeing Heliopolis for weeks now. I had never seen a “real” Velocity Circus performance. So far it had only been an exhibit of their works and performances at the De Young Museum in San Francisco.

I have to say: Wow…what an amazing performance it was!!! Friday night was more then I had expected. They had scheduled a 3 day event for Valentine's Day weekend.

The night began with beautiful choreographed dancers, a very funny funny clown, snake dancers, there was a fire performance and a sword fight (that freaked me out). My favorite was seeing whirling dervish act of Gregangelo himself….WOW, WOW, WOW….is all I have to say about this act!!! I knew he was a pro at this but honestly this act was one of the highlights of the night!!

Gregangelo’s costume spinning during his dervish performance is AMAZING!! I recommend seeing one of Velocity Circus's performances. In fact a Velocity show should be one of San Francisco's must see's!

2009-02-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Heliopolis - Publicity Behind the Scenes

Do you hear that buzzing sound? It could be the return of bees to your local flower field. It could be the electrical circuits racing through the electric lines above your head. Or it could be people talking about the amazing Heliopolis show that just took place at the small and intimate Randall Museum Theater.

I haven't blogged in a while, so I'll discuss the event production a bit. After conceptualizing the event's theme and general goals, the initial work was securing a venue for the dates of the event and touring the facility, which the Randall Museum graciously arranged with us back in December.The next step was preparing publicity materials, including a press release, locating a graphic designer to make the smooth, eye-catching images for flyers, posters, invitations, and whatever else necessary to make the event look and be appealing to the intended audience.

Identifying the audience was also part of this and can be one of the trickiest parts. We wanted to reach as wide a segment of the population while also paying attention to smaller subcultures. To do this, we used imagery that we thought would appeal to a women as well as men, straight as well as queer. We also targeted advertising in areas of San Francisco and the East Bay where people already interested in circus and dance, whether primarily as watchers or also as performers, were likely to see it. This included eateries in "hip" areas, dance studios, universities, and community centers. We utilized Web 2.0 tools like Facebook and Youtube to help us get the word out to friends and past clients of Gregangelo. In addition, we contacted our press network and received coverage in the local newspapers, as well as very brief notes on television and on the radio.

Once people began buying tickets, we got a better picture of who our audience was and adjusted out marketing approach slightly to reach certain segments of the population, notably other artists and people with Middle Eastern/Mediterranean background or interest. During the last two weeks, we also placed quite a number of telephone calls to friends, work associates, and businesses to encourage the purchase of pre-sale tickets since we preferred to handle as few transactions at the event itself as possible. With her years of subscription sales experience for such notable arts organizations as the SF Ballet and the SF Opera, Lorna Zilba helped us significantly during this aspect.

Thankfully, we did not need to devote much time to recruiting volunteers, partially because the space itself was not very large - a 150-seat theater attached to a small museum. Our existing relationship with FIDM, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandizing, also helped. Most of our enthusiastic volunteers that weekend came from FIDM. Partnerships are indeed important in helping make productions successful.

Photo credit: Holly Stewart. Poster design: Taylor Collins

Save the Music! Save the Block! Cuts Hurt Hayward Schools!

2009-01-28T15:09:00.001-08:00

2008-12-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

It was a fascinating day yesterday.

You never know who you are going to see or what the day will bring.

We began our morning at CUE Space in West Oakland filming Darkhia our Mongolian Hand Dancer for an artist profile series. Darkhia has a fascinating story we hope to bring to light through this interview and performance. She was raised in the country side of Mongolia and began learning traditional Mongolian Dance at the age of 8. In addition she has gymnastics training, was in the Mongolian Army, can butcher livestock for a meal and then rushed off to catch a plane to perform for kings and queens. She has performed Internationally on many acclaimed stages, festivals and won several international awards. When we are together I cannot help but to be drawn into her life story and it's continuing journey. I also met with a producer at CUE who is using the space and several of our artists for a commercial shoot who cast several of artist for a "ordinary people doing extraordinary things" though I have to admit there in nothing ordinary about a person that can fly through the air on a trapeze or that is training to break the Guinness Book of world records for the most back flips on jumping stilts.

We hurried back to San Francisco after the shoot to meet up with Gregangelo as we had an event last night. We walked into our home which was filled with an extraordinary candy display in the music room and shopping bags full of exotic nuts, fruits and confections. Gregangelo is preparing for a holiday gathering next week at our home and everything he does is art including serving guests and as so his attention to detail is unbelievable.

The event we participated in last night was the launch party for Emirate Airlines at the Herbst Pavillion. It was quite a beautiful event. We were part of the program which was the Salute to the Arts of San Francisco which include the San Francisco Symphony, Alonzo King's Lines Ballet, Velocity Circus and a speech by Mayor Gavin Newsom welcoming His Highness from the Emirates and the Emirate Airlines. In addition Sheryl Crow and Hillary Swank made stage appearances.

Gregangelo and I rushed out of the event after our performance to a private concert for a live recording of Vinsantos new CD. It was held in a gorgeous Victorian home in the Western Addition. The line-up included Vinsantos on vocals and piano, Featuring Kiddie ,Fauxnique, Suzanne Ramsey Uke and Piano, Ricky Furcoat drums and percussion,Kenny Girl Bass Guitar. It was quite a scene full of alternative artists, gays and female impersonators gathering to hear a remarkable only in San Francisco melodramatic sound infused with heart wrenching lyrics and a visual feast of eye candy. Check out Vinsantos site at http://www.vinsantosmusic.com/ I have heard about Vinsantos over the years but this was my first opportunity to see and hear him perform. I am certainly his newest fan!

We finished our night with a cocktail at the Midnight Sun in the Castro where we met a very recent transplant from Seattle "Queen Wilhemina". Wilhemina is a very bright and vibrant gay drag performer who moved through the crowd breaking smiles on the stoniest of faces and throwing fear to the wind literally danced through the crowd introducing himself and everyone to each other. He moved to San Francisco 4 days ago to pursue a career as a R&B/Gospel singer and belted out and sang along with the 70’s disco tunes the DJ was spinning and showing on the video tron.

You have to love this city and its arts, where a person can experience a Mongolian Hand Dancer, the Symphony, the Ballet, a Circus and a new underground sound and scene all in day all in San Francisco.

Jeffrey Ferns

2008-12-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

Seeing STARS

by Sottol Weng

This Saturday, the comet of Gregangelo & Velocity Arts & Entertainment swung into the orbit of Santa Cruz for the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History's (MAH) annual STARS gala. We shined throughout three floors of red globe motif accented halls and galleries to present in. A juggling-balancing clown, a beaked stuntperson on stilts, a joke-cracking stilt-walker, and an accordionist greeted the guests as they drifted in.

After a few technical difficulties, Velocity Arts contortionist Bogi performed before a rapt audience of VIP guests at the STARS live auction. Surprising how well the Museum did with that item of the evening; someone bid $1800 on a dinner for 20!

After the live auction got under way, dining tables were brought out on the ground floor and a band played some of Billboard's top 40s for the Baby Boomer set. Later that night, one of Gregangelo's rhythmic gymnasts tousled the attentions of the diners milling about the elevator.

Overall, a smooth event and evening.

Here is Tyler Parks looking red and Seuss-icle.

Kitten on the Keys Slideshow

2008-12-05T17:35:00.001-08:00

Kitten on the Keys new slideshow created by Hiromi Yoshida of Velocity

2008-12-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

Enchanters-R-Us

A peel of laughter and piano music greeted me as I entered the Gregangelo House today. It was none other than Rita Abrams rehearsing one of her new songs for her production of As the Bridge Tolls and the Gregangelo crew gathered around.

Passing through the atrium, I glanced over and saw Darkhia, Mongolian Hand Dancer (and one of the primary chefs here) carefully applying make-up to an elf-in-the-making.

The funny thing about pop culture is that it there are not more accidental crossovers. For instance, there are the elves of Christmas, Oompa-Loompa-like cogs in the great toy making factory of Santa Claus. Then there are J.K. Rowling's moth-beaten house elves, completely different from the noble (and fine) forest elves from J.R.R. Tolkien's novels. And somehow we get away with calling them ALL elves without getting them mushed up together into one gooey surrealistic painting in our heads (or at least my head).

Speaking of spirits and surreal images, I had the opportunity to meet Jim Berenholtz recently. Jim is one of those people with a really old soul. And I mean old like Brothers Grimm or pre-Scientific Revolution old, not old like stale cheese. This guy has traveled and lived with people all over the world, sometimes staying in huts and tin shacks. He is an accomplished ethnomusicologist, composer, snake dancer (see photo), musician, performance artist, and a researcher of many things indigenous.

One of Jim's favorite topics is Ancient Egypt and he is collaborating with Gregangelo & Velocity Arts & Entertainment to develop the "Heliopolis - City of the Sun" presentations. Here is Jim Berenholtz in the first of a 3-part series talking about the influence of Ancient Egypt on other civilizations (with a voiceover by yours truly): Sottol Weng Click HERE.

http://velocitycircus.podbean.com/

2008-12-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Census for Arts Organizations

by Sottol Weng

Just mailed out a stack of fundraising letters. Fundraising is definitely one of the most creative types of office work you can find. Grant-writing, on-line and physical research, event planning, talking to potential and past donors, marketing - and those are just the fun parts!

Also recently put some information in for CUE on the California Cultural Data Project.

"What is the California Cultural Data Project?" you might ask. "Does it matter to me?"

As politicians at all levels of government look for ways to cut budgets in this time of national recession, we as artists and arts organizations will need to push back against attempts to cut funding to the creative sector. This is where the Cali Cultural Data Project will help make a difference. It's a bit like the U.S. Census applied state-side to arts organizations.

The California Cultural Data Project is a transplant from Pennsylviania, where it got started about 5 years ago when a group of foundations that realized their grant application demands on arts organizations often were redundant and therefore too time-consuming. It has since become a tool for Pennsylvania arts organizations to show, using hard numbers, the wide range of people served and economic contributions of arts organizations to residents of the Keystone State. See this article: {http://www.hewlett.org/AboutUs/News/Foundation+Newsletter/California+Cultural+Data+Project.htm}}
The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance was able to put together this information and present it to politicians and business councils, showing them the big impact that arts programming has in the local economy, both by employing artists and by attracting people to local businesses through their proximity to the arts.

Participation in the Cultural Data Project is absolutely free because it is funded by several of the largest California foundations that realize the necessity of being inclusive of all arts organizations, be they as large as San Francisco Ballet or as small as an experimental theater project.

Do you need more incentive to get involved? Hot cocoa and marshmallows? Seriously.

2008-11-28T15:39:00.001-08:00

It is a quiet day today in the office. I met with Lisa Palter and Darkhia regarding admin paperwork for Darkhia and left the meeting feeling very fortunate for the incredible artists in our company. Darkhia Damba is our Mongolian Hand Dancer. Darkhia has been working with us for several years since her arrival from Mongolia and is one of only 2 artists in Mongolia that have mastered the Uran Gar" in 50 years. The Uran Gar is a very difficult and highly regarded folk dance of Mongolian that is connected poetically through movement to spring, nature, and the earth. I stared across the table at Darkhia and in my heart knew I was looking at an artist of extraordinary ability. I am beginning a campaign to publicize her extraordinary self. This campaign will include a new website, video, classes, and features on Darkhia and her performance of the "Uran Gar".

Sottol CUE's Director is here working on a fundraising campaign. CUE is Velocity's social venture http://www.cuekids.org/. I know i am throwing alot at him lately, but his tenacity and ability to maintain and move initiatives forward allows me the luxury of more time to plan and strategize around the business and next year's initiatives. These are interesting economic times and having a life/business partner that looks positively at the future and is literally a whirling dervish keeps us laughing and moving forward. Hence why he named the company "Velocity"...

Hiromi just returned from CUE Space is West Oakland where she was filming footage for Suzanne Ramsey aka Kitten on the Keys. We are creating a new promotional reel for her.

The photo attached is our Holiday display which Gregangelo put together for us here in the office to keep us comfy and warm during these grey and short winter days! It works except I think having all the chocolate and candy is too much temptation for one......

Holiday Greetings to everyone and may all the warmth and joy of the season be yours.

sincerely,

Jeffrey

2008-11-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

I am so excited to have Sottol Weng join us! If you read the previous blog he introduced himself and his role. I had the privilege of working with Sottol on the San Francisco Halloween Festival. CUE the social venture arm of Gregangelo & Velocity Arts & Entertainment was responsible for volunteer solicitation and organization for the event. Sottol's big heart, tenacity and follow-thru was impressive to experience. Since then we invited him to become part of our team. He is working with me on very exciting projects for next year..

On another note we were part of YouTube's Live Broadcast on Saturday where we had programmed our "American Icons", Bronkar Beat Boxer, Henry Holloway- stunt stilter, Les Aerialles- Janene's aerial troupe, and of course the Merthlings at the event. Super Gigi lovely assistant for make-up was none other than Gregangelo and Darkhia carried the rest of the make-up call for the troupe. You can see some footage captured at the event at this link-

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Live&view=videos

Hiromi Yoshida our media guru is compiling several new videos including a new "American Icon".

We filmed Jim Berenholtz today for an upcoming project soon to be announced which incorporates his incredible knowledge of ancient cultures, our dance company and ethnic programming.

The photo above is "American Icons" on the YouTube Red Carpet

2008-11-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

New Blogger and CUE Director

And now, through the miracle of the Information Age called the Internet, we present... Sottol!

Sottol Weng is the new Velocity Circus blogger and Director of Children United by Experience International (CUE for short). He will be giving you regular play-by-plays of Gregangelo and Velocity Circus performances. In addition, Sottol will be working with Jeffrey to develop and carry out new initiatives for CUE, including the rebrand currently underway.

If you haven't noticed, Sottol has the snarky habit of being self-referencial in the third person.

Sottol brings a palette of skills to CUE and Gregangelo & Velocity Arts & Entertainment, drawing from years of experience in nonprofit accounting, property management, event planning, and fundraising. Most recently, Sottol was Volunteer Coordinator for the San Francisco Halloween Festival. When not blogging, corresponding, and plotting to take over the world, Sottol may be found biking past traffic, browsing on succulent books, dancing in the Mission, or standing impatiently in line at your local granola station.

2008-11-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

Frosting, Sprinkles and Sparkles

Last Friday, I got my feet wet as a performer of Gregangelo and Velocity Arts. No, not literally wet. My black shoes were covered in pink faux fur . The occasion? The Christmas Tree Lighting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco. I was dressed as a pastry and had a puppet on hand that talked as much as I did.

To the joy of youth and seniors alike, Gregangelo and the Velocity crew greeted, entertained, and provided photo ops to hundreds of local and out-of-town holiday revelers. We had a BIG cake that shot foamy snow out its top. Gregangelo wore the shoes of King Candy, handing out sweets and inciting smiles. In the background, you could hear the SF Girls Chorus caroling.

The best part was seeing the spontaneous smiles and good-natured jokes from the seniors in the audience. -My, you look good enough to eat!

The hotel staff were also enthusiastic to see us there. While the hotel seemed to have scaled back a bit from previous years (cider and cookies absent), a good time was had as Gregangelo continued an ongoing relationship with the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

2008-04-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!
This is Jake Minkoff, the new Velocity Administrative Assistant and Manager for Children United by Experience. I'm really excited to be working in this capacity for Gregangelo, Jeffrey, and the Velocity Family. I am also a performer for Velocity Circus, and a member of our premier performing group, V-Troupe. Our small nine member troupe has been training since November and performing at various venues. The following is a excerpt from our latest Velocity Newsletter about our recent March 8th gig in Cincinnati.

A Very Blustery Day in Cincinnati

by Jake Minkoff

V-Troupe's first out of state gig ends up in a blizzard of...snow!

In the week leading up to our March 8th gig to perform at a benefit for Mercy Hospitals in Cincinnati, Ohio the entire V-troupe was very excited. It was to be our first gig out of state, and we were filled with anticipation for the performance and the experience. In our final Oakland rehearsal, however, the positive emotional energy was joined by some jolting physical energy when two of our troupe members injured themselves within one hour of each other!

Undaunted, the troupe had to leave their injured friends behind, after taking good care of them of course, because the show must go on! The troupe arrived in Cincinnati, greeted with mild weather and a city to entertain. After final rehearsals and meeting our replacement troupe mate flown in from Minneapolis, we were ready to perform. That's when the blizzard struck. Waking up Saturday morning, the troupe found that with a record snowfall of seven inches in one day and advisories telling residents not leave their homes and Cincinnati closed down there was a good chance there wouldn't be an event to perform at. Apparently, it was the snow that must go on!

As it turned out, with nobody to attend the charity event and thus nobody to perform for, we were not able to put on the show we had been brought there to do. Nevertheless, we cheerfully gave the disappointed clients a taste of our show, along with a fun costume parade and some antics from our clowns. Gregangelo arranged a physical comedy/character workshop with Diane Wasnak for the troupe and Our client Julie jumped in and we had a grand ole time learning how to create fun! So, delicious dilemmonade was made from a week filled with dilemmas!

2008-03-03T14:03:00.000-08:00

Our booth at Moscone was really tony!
When you think of trade shows, you automatically think long, boring days and corporate, corporate, corporate. Well, our blast of bright orange and totally decked out booth was anything but corporate! Gregangelo's wild pop-eyed take on the world combined with Jeffrey's draper-par-excellence skills rendered our booth a virtual magnet for everyone at the show... including all the other exhibitors. I've worked other kinds of trade shows, and never felt the excitement and buzz we seemed to invite at this MPI event last Tuesday. People were dying of curiosity and swarmed in asking "What do you do?"... "Who ARE you?" (We never did get our sign for the booth... in a way that was serendipitous, since people were compelled to come over and find out for themselves, thus enabling us to better engage them ) So much fun making new contacts and even discovering people from our past! Someone I knew from the voiceover world whom I'd not seen in 9 years actually is interested in possibly working with Gregangelo... contacts and opportunities... but mostly (as is always the case with any Velocity creation), abounding smiles every time anyone passed our booth. Once again, Gregangelo's mission "To inspire" was carried out! Love it!

Bettina Devin~ aka GG BRIDGES

2008-02-28T07:37:00.001-08:00

It is Thursday morning and I woke up to a rerun of the 70's TV game show "The Newlyweds". I wonder if the couples on the show are still together? My body is a bit sore from an extensive bike ride yesterday morning, I rode down to the ocean at 7am and watched the waves beat against the rocks near the cliff house. Sometimes the body screams to release the mind from active duty and my good ole bicycle was in the right place to trip upon in the morning! Rather than scream at my pain, I had a big "AHA" this is how the day will begin!
Yesterday I called Hiromi our filmaker and told her not to come in. Gregangelo and I planned to leave early to take a break from the pace and drive to Marin for dinner and then a Doug Motel's one man show at a barn in Cotati. Wednesday's we try to relax a little and breathe deep. So much for plans, the phones began to ring, our electrican shows up to rewire the hallway for a new art instillation, Karen arrives, and before you know it it is 4:30pm. The previous day we were exhibiting at a MPI conference, which was a success and met a great group of planners and caught up with acquaintainces in the industry. Bettina Devin my associate in development was quite the attraction as you can see in the photo, and given the nature of the conference we thought we would brighten up our corner with the color orange.

Today is a promising day, there is a lot of inquiry coming in from the Arizona markets and a potential event where we can have our aritist scale off of a new building opening. It seems the Napa-Sonoma market is starting to move forward as well.

2008-02-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

CUE Showcase Recap~
Yesterday was dedicated to raising funds for CUE and its programming.
It began on a windy and blustery Sunday morning at 7am preparing for an 8 person tour of our home. It was a lovely group of people from Berkeley who heard about the Gregangelo Museum through a recent meeting we had about a future event we will be doing with the Berkeley Museum. We open our home to tours and charge a fee of which 100% goes to fund CUESPACE and its Programming. They were a lovely group of people and it was very refreshing to meet a bright young group of people and have stimulating conversations on Sunday morning, rather than my usual cup of coffee and the New York Times.

As soon as we finished the tour Gregangelo and I drove with Milan (see previous post) to Glen Park to grab lunch for the artists showcasing and headed over the Bay Bridge to West Oakland. Henry (V-Troupe member) was finishing up organizing the seating and Cecilia Palmtag our assistant Technical Director was humming along setting up the film projector, audio and lights. After setting up the green room, I began my favorite task of popping Popcorn! It is a mindless task for me and it a great way to relax after the week of high-energy and business stimulants.

Our line-up was great and some incredible stories from the artists. Cassie (see attached image) a 7 year old aerialist her second time in front of an audience wowed the crowd with her finesse and presentation of static trapeze to the song "Somewhere Out There" from the movie "American Tale". What was very moving about her story is that she was adopted from a orphanage in China and is now living in the Bay Area and training in Circus Arts. She is a very special child and through her loving parents is now on a path of self-esteem building, confidence,discipline and rewards that will enable her to succeed in what ever her life path will bring. This is what circus arts brings to youth and is a great catalyst for social change in the community.

We had a great supportive audience and Francis and Scott Wocicki from the tour of our home came to the show and brought friends. This particular showcase was a great success from all the collaborative elements, audiece and volunteers that came together to see, create and support the arts!

Here is the line-up of the show~
Trapeze Arts/Janene- Youth Aerial Troupe

Audrey Rosales- she's doing an aerial net act

Paula Kidwell- Paula is the newest member of V-Troupe. She joins us after a lifetime of training in acrobatics, dance, and stunt work. She trained with Cirque du Soleil in Montreal before braving the circus and performing arts world on her own. Today she is here to present an original acrobatic dance piece.

**Alex Ramon Gonzalez/ magic show (if he shows--I'm lead to believe that he will be there)- Alex is a Bay Area native from Richmond, CA whose talents have won him several awards of national acclaim. He has just returned from a world tour as a Principal Illusionist with Disney, and is best known for his Dove Act.

Fou Fou Ha!- is a Bay Area performance ensemble "Combining buffoonery, intricate dance choreography, drag queens, slapstick, and cheap bourbon, the Fou Fou HA! Dancing girls are a band of mayhem-makers like no other. Their performances always cause laughter and excitement (and at times a bit of brain damage)". Today, Fou Fou Ha brings us a Slapstick Dance number.

Hiromi Yoshida create and edit of our Heliopolis show and previewed it as well.

Here is a video created by HGTV for the show "Offbeat America" about our home.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey

2008-02-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

Well it has been quite a week. Lots of movement in the air and the Earth, yesterday there was a lunar eclipse and today a 6.3 earthquake near Elko Nevada. Gregangelo and I pulled a 16 hour day yesterday, no regrets, it was full of art, artists, laughter and magical moments, we interviewed Milan who is interested in a summer internship, she is currently attending Cincinatti U, in fashion design and was up on the roof with us last night trying to catch the eclipse. I turned to this courageous young artist and welcomed her to San Francisco as we stood on the roof under the stars, looking for the moon. She has something quite special about her, I know her path will be full of adventure and success. As is the norm after an eclipse and earthquake the phones were wringing off the hook, so I saged the house, said a few prayers and listened closely to the calls and questions coming in. I have been following the primaries closely and have decided to back off, as it is getting ugly and the disappointment in human behavior is too much to add to my plate. I did find time to bake a pumpkin pie and a savory pide in between contracts and phone calls. When I bake, I can think about what is on my plate and desk carefully, the baking allows me to step away and contemplate the business and moving it forward. The previous evening I attending a reception hosted by the San Francisco Symphony for the Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Francisco. His name is Luis R. Cancel. There were quite a few Arts Task Force members present. Public Policy and the Arts can bring together an interesting collection of people. Hiromi is in high creative and her eye is right on the mark as she edits the footage from our recent Heliopolis show. The image attached to this blog is from the death scene of Heliopolis. This video is an edit that Hiromi created from the show.

Until later, keep creative and never forget~ art and social change are congruous!
Jeffrey

2008-02-21T12:19:00.001-08:00

Oh boy....there's a pasty-type thing baking in the oven and filling the house with a good smell. There's miso boiling on the stove top. Jeffrey is next to me and it sounds like he is (calmly) dealing with a very irritated caller, who just found out that the person planning her event changed her request from a few acts to a thirty-minute show, without asking the producer first. Oh my. A timer on his desk is tick-tick-ticking (to let him know when to pull his food out of the oven, I imagine). Tension....
But it has come after a somewhat relaxing week. We are taking care of details, preparing for the oncoming storm of business in the next few months.
Gregangelo and Henry Holloway (our master stilt-jumper and stuntman of V Troupe) have been out on the city streets all week in blue, shiny body suits and masks on roller skates, shouting at the monkey-suited public, for a guerilla-advertising job that a new company hired us for.
VTroupe is preparing to fly to Cincinnatti for a performance in early March.
We are hosting our monthly showcase next Sunday, the 24th, which will feature slapstick dance, acrobatic dance, aerial performance, film, and very likely some magic and opera as well!
For me (and I think for many artists), this time of year is ideal for holing up on rainy days and dreaming up the next creative ventures. There's little or no temptation to go outside when it's rainy and cold, so one has the opportunity to look within and dream up the future. I'm dreaming up performance pieces about ancient celtic tales. The circus is dreaming up new shows, and big business for all of our artists.
The picture above is of Gregangelo (blue) and Henry (green). The jesus guy has nothing to do with the circus.

2008-02-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

And what did the circus freaks do for Valentine's Day? Well, at my recommendation, Gregangelo and Jeffrey went to a screening of Franco Zeferelli's Romeo & Juliet featuring a live appearance from Olivia Hussey. Sadly, Jeffrey wasn't into it like I thought he would be. "I don't like Shakespeare--I know, I know--and I just can't get into suicide. Love for death? It just doesn't do anything for me." The radio blasts Elton John next door in the costume workshop. "See THAT'S what I need! Lots of sappy torch songs!"
Et moi? For Valentine's Day I joined my long-time director and friend, Joyce Henderson, for some bubby and King Lear. Insane, you say? Yes, but how could I resist? I love champagne and I love Shakespeare and this film of Lear was done by Masterpiece Theatre with Ian Holm as Lear! Of course it was GENIUS, and segued into a stimulating and insightful discussion about aging, illness, death, love, and gender disparities between Joyce and I. Just a bit of light-hearted fun. Who needs romance when you're intelligent AND glamorous? Well...
Today, we are preparing costumes for a client-branding event, where we have performers advertising for a company as they roller-skate in costume. Gregangelo walks into the office with a stocking over his head. I jump back a bit. "What do I look like?" he asks. "Like you're gonna rob us," I laugh. "See, I can't do this! Can you imagine me in costume on rollerskates with this? I don't want to scare people!"
This after watching the video of our Heliopolis show, and remarking on our snake charmer with the ten snakes covering his entire head and face.
You know, just another day in the office!
Then Greg and Jeffrey, mentioned "Ken", a man who called us and is interested in putting us in his TV show "America's Got Talent." So when Jeffrey asked me to call the fellow for this new show, you can imagine my pouty response: "Do I have to?" He laughs and says "I just want you to feel him out. See what he has to say.""Oh, and it'll be good," I say." Anything for the circus! I'll do it for the blog!" So, I'm waiting to hear back from him. Gulp.

2008-02-15T13:01:00.001-08:00

I was going to blog about our "Heliopolis" show at the Marin Theater this week, and all the chaotic tension leading up to it, but I think this email thread between Jeffrey and Donald (a producer who is trying to get a reality TV show about us in the works) says it better:

Hi Donald,

Show was exceptional! Received a standing ovation, the crowd average age was 60+ and very discriminating in regards to theater so the producer was on edge up until the performance because of all the elements ie: snake, fire, contortion, lots of skin and belly dancing, the crowd loved all the components, especially when in the snake act the snake charmer had 8 very large snakes wrapped around his head covering his face and there were 5 other large snakes being manipulated by the dancers.

There was a lot of drama leading up to it, we ended up producing the show, because of union issues around using the existing lighting plot, house sold out and there was a waiting list for seats.

Overall it was a beautiful show and yes, we can’t wait to do it again, this time without the drama.
Cheers!
jeffrey

-Wonderful!
But for the TV show, keep the drama. Or at least be able to "connect" to it again. Or, there will always be drama of some kind.
d

-There is always drama; such is the nature of circus and life! J You would have had to bleep, bleep, Greg screaming at the producer to “produce the &*%^&% show and don’t give me any nicey, nicey bull…!" Of course at hearing him screaming on the phone, I decided to sage the house to expunge the bad energy, the doorbell rings, the front living room is full of smoke, I have a sage urn burning in my hand as I answer the door, Greg is screaming in the background and a new costumer arrives for the first time and day of work. She a little perplexed! I offer her tea, tell her to never mind the cussing and screaming, she laughs, made it through the day and was at the show last night. -J
* * * * *

So..."Heliopolis" was a miraculous success. We sold out the show and got a partial standing from our dazzled audience, albeit, after a lot of stress and strife. We had our very first and only cue-to-cue (that's the part where we run through everyone's entrances and exits in order of the show w/ lights and sound, for all you non-theatre folks) just a couple of hours before the show. Everyone had to multi-task like crazy: each of the dancers was in almost every act, many of us were balancing technical/production positions while preparing to perform, etc. For example, yours truly got to open the show with her taksim (middle eastern improvisational music/dance), then run backstage to change costume, then re-enter to play duf (mid-eastern frame drum), and then run backstage again and stage manage the rest of the show! Oh- AND I get to operate a few light cues from backstage while I'm at it. Oh boy! And what FUN it was to step in as stage manager just before the show and call all the cues with a herd of artists glaring at me because they don't want me telling them what to do! Meanwhile poor Gregg Hood, Cecilia Palmtag, and Hiromi Yoshida, are losing their minds and sweating bullets while trying to operate our tech cues from outdated lighting equipment.
When the show is finally about to begin at 7:30 (after a full day of working in the theater for the first time), I relax before taking the stage with my dance. I immediately feel myself again, knowing that my body will finally have a chance to release the day and breathe the evening. I feel completely free and blissful as I dance, and the audience is grateful. Heliopolis begins with a riveting and powerful drum ensemble and dance piece, and from that moment on, they love us. Everything is a success. On the clearcom headset backstage, I hear Cecilia cooing and laughing with delight at each act, until....about midway through the show I hear her say with forced calm, "Okay, I think we may have set off the A-track." That sounds bad. "What does that mean?" I ask, with equal calm. "The fire alarm is going to go off."
"S***! Okay. What can I do to stop that?"
"Nothing."
silence
"Gregg Hood is on the phone trying to work it out."
"Okay, so in the event that this happens, what do we do?"
"Calmly escort everyone out of the building."
"Okay. Naja will take care of the artists. I will make the announcement to the audience. And then how do we turn off the fire alarm?"
"We don't know."
"And the people who work here at the theater?"
"They don't know either."
"Great."
"Puffy white clouds. Just imagine puffy white clouds."
"Yes, puffy white clouds--NOT from smoke."
"Um, uh, blue skies? Daisies?"
"Puppies and kittens."
"Puppies and kittens."
Well, amazingly the fire alarm DIDN'T go off. The whole show was a success, and we all slept very, very well that night! (I'm still recovering.)

2008-02-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

In the past couple of weeks there has been a sense, both here in the company and in all aspects of my life, that makes me feel as though everything is evolving,quickly and dramatically changing for the better. Evidence of this may not be immediately apparent, but there have been small and punctuated clues leading me to feel this way. And it seems that I'm not the only one who does.
To be more specific, with Velocity everything is growing in the sense that communication is becoming clearer, people are fulfilling their intentions, our business is growing rapidly, and we are rising to the challenge. All of Gregangelo and Jeffrey's generosity and giving is really coming back to them and to the artists who have been on that journey with them.
We have been cramming in our last rehearsals for "Heliopolis: City of the Sun", our upcoming arabesque show in Marin which shows next week. As is expected in this business, the initial merging of all our various acts which have been in the works independently, ran rough the first time through. We have about twelve acts including belly dancing, sword dancing, drumming, a snake charmer, fire dancers, our very own Whirling Dervish (that's Gregangelo, the founder and artistic director--I love telling people that one of my bosses is a Whirling Dervish!), and a lot more. This is all narrated by Kelsy Custard, who plays the role of a woman of Heliopolis, reading the poetry written in hieroglyphs on the walls of Egyptian tombs. (No, really, that's where we got the poetry. We have a book of it that Jeffrey and I borrowed parts of for our script. I actually posted some of it on this blog.) Well, to make a long story short, the script has been through many changes, and we've had a rough go of rehearsals, but last night I was finally able to hear Kelsy speak the poetry while moving across the stage..with the accompaniment of Jim, our world cultures/arts/music genius specialist, who is playing wooden flutes and Egyptian percussive instruments with the poetry. Jeffrey said he had chills up and down his spine as he listened to Kelsy's voice with the music, and saw her powerful energy. We all know how talented she is (she's also a V-Troupe member and a clown with her clown troupe...they all live together!), and last night we got another dose that talent. Not to mention, Jim is a truly connected, magical human being with great understanding and intuition. Very easy to work with.
My role in this part was very easy. I just gave stage directions, worked with the script, and listened, but I now finally feel that this piece has become what we had dreamed it would: a captivating, deep, and powerful journey of the spirit and a celebration of cultural arts.
I am very proud of all of our artists and everyone who works in this company. What a beautiful group of people, and what a great job to have.
I'm feeling profoundly blessed.

2008-01-31T14:20:00.000-08:00

Moments in the office today:
Gregangelo: "Okay Hiromi I need you to find a remix of "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin and Hossam Ramzy. Karen did you find the passages about the flying spaceships in the Egyptian Literature book? Isn't that amazing? Yeah, flying UFOs, still makes perfect sense today. Okay. Bye."
. . . .
Jeffrey: "So we're doing an Irish-themed event, ancient to contemporary."
Me: "Ohmygod, I know EXACTLY what we should do! Let me get my book of Celtic Tales!" (I'm a nerd, have you noticed?)
Jeffrey: Yeah, so we're going to start with the Narnia theme. We'll have a celtic-knot labyrinth with the usual trolls, nymphs, and satyrs, and then you know, the big battle will break out--"
Me: "GREAT! The Irish Hero Tales and the entire Ulster Cycle is full of passages about combat! Have Lee Morrison play CuChulainn, the Hero of the Tain! There will be a battle between the gods of the Sid and the mortal heros. In the Otherworld, you know? The spirit world!"
Jeffrey:"I love it! Okay, so we'll propose three segments: the battle, and the other three--"
Me: "Already know what to do. Just lemme get my Celtic Literature book. I'll write a synopsis."

. . . . .

Gregangelo: "Can you come to rehearsals tonight, Karen? We need you to play a cloaked person. Kinda dramatic, but make it funny. "
Jeffrey: "Olivia's gonna pull out a knife."
Gregangelo: "Yeah, we don't want people to get too serious. We want them to laugh."
Me: "Okay. Sure. I'll be there."

2008-01-30T06:56:00.000-08:00

We had a great rehearsal yesterday with our V-Troupe, the clowns were preparing for their very serious roles for the following show-
Heliopolis is a story of a woman's life lived in joy, love and freedom. It will come to an end unless she assumes and conforms to the cloaks of a community. The story was inspired by a article by Asef Bayat titled "Islamism and the politics of fun" this article deals with the systematic and legislative suppressions of fun and joy. This suppression has plagued communities and cultures throughout history in all regions of the world and in our story of Heliopolis. In this tale of myths our heroine retells the magic of her beloved Heliopolis a place of music, poetry, dance, mystery, love and wonder as she barters for her life.

Above Photo of Gregangelo by Andy Freeberg

AN EXCERPT FROM ISLAMISM AND THE POLITICS OF FUN: "Arts and music have not been spared from piestic wrath. Protestant puritans replaced the Church as the medium of salvation, resorting to piestic practices such as hard work and 'avoiding cards, dancing, theatre-going, and essentially every action which could be seen as a concession to ''the world'' . According to this logic, art, sexuality, and by extension fun had the potential to disrupt the influence of reason on human conduct or divert humans from full attention to the transcendental."

Gregangelo Herrera, a third-generation San Franciscan of Lebanese and Mexican descent, was exposed to a rich array of arts at an early age. He is a graduate of the California College of Arts and Crafts, and he has extensive training in dance, music, and circus arts. Gregangelo is an accomplished multi- media artist his signature act, the Whirling Circus Dervish, has gained international recognition from a spectrum of audiences.

This production is a culmination of his passion for art, world cultures, the extraordinary artists of his company, and his ancestry .
Influenced by his recent trip to Turkey, combined with years of travel throughout Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, he began to reflect on his grandparents' immigration to San Francisco in the United States in the early 1900's from Batroun, Lebanon. This reflection brought up the current state of the arts in these travels, its sometimes difficult struggle to exist, and his family's ability and dedication to maintaining a rich and multi- generational participation in the arts. His uncle, Stan Beainy recalls: "When I was a child, I experienced all of the traditions of the Old Country here in San Francisco such as the food, music, dancing and storytelling. My mother and father both played the Oud as well as the trimbucka. Families always got together on weekends. The women would cook and men would tell the stories of the old country. After the meals everyone would sing, dance and play musical instruments and each year there would be something called a Marhajan where the Lebanese and Syrian communities in the San Francisco Bay Area would come together for celebration of music, food, dancing, plays and storytelling. During get togethers, everyone used to do a 'line dance' called the "Debka". My father was usually on the end of the line waving his handkerchief during the dance and Julia Farrah would usually sing Arabic songs at these affairs. She had a fabulous voice. " Gregangelo reflected on these traditions and how they still play a major part of his and his family's lives. Gregangelo began his first art class at the de Young Museum at the age 5. At the age of 15 he began performing with The Aswan Dancers a Middle Eastern Dance troupe under the artistic direction on Amina Goodyear , where he developed his Whirling Dervish act. During this time he was also part of a contemporary Middle Eastern percussion ensemble called the Cairo Cats. Following his passion for Circus Arts he began his Velocity Circus company in the 90's and then grew his business, Gregangelo & Velocity Arts & Entertainment , into the multi-media and layered arts organization that it is today.
"Heliopolis" combines all of these traditional elements into a rich production of East meets West. "Only in San Francisco" could this cultural richness develop, grow and become an aesthetic of its own. In turn, this allows Gregangelo to pass on this richness of music, dance, art, joy and fun which he knows to be indigineous to the human spirit.
Please join us on February 11, 2008 as the Marin Theatre Company Presents "Heliopolis". Sincerely, Jeffrey Ferns

Read CCA "At A Glance" Article on Gregangelo

2008-01-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm whistfully gazing around the shimmering, mosaic encrusted walls and ceilings of the kitchen, the whirling painted cosmos above me, and dancers, artists, and deities of ancient cultures painted on the cupboards. I'm sipping my tea, listening to the music that never stops playing all over the house, remembering a happy moment in the "tent room", a room of silk pillows and drapery where food, drink, and laughter is shared along with a hookah full of flavored middle eastern tobacco. Just reminiscing over the joyful times, such as last friday when Gregangelo warned us all about the green chiles that Jeffrey had just roasted: "Watch out! Those things are hot! I ate one at lunch and burned [places I shouldn't have]!" Yes, all is well in the kingdom. Or should i say, queendom...

2008-01-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

I'm verging on overload. The pace in the office is jumping back up to its usual fever pitch as we get more and more work. We have many huge events coming up, and I'm in the middle of contacting all of the many artists involved in them, making sure they receive and confirm their contracts, writing contracts, scheduling meetings for technicians, networking with local cultural and community children's centers for CUE, TRYING to keep the calendar up to date with everything, writing programs and artists' bios, and getting ready to apply for more grants and polish my dance performance for our arabesque show in February! Oh, and how could I forget? The Oakland Tribune is doing a story about us AND a childhood friend of Gregangelo's who is now a TV producer has been filming us for a reality TV show that he wants to produce about our company! Fortunately, I work well under pressure (we all do; it's the norm for us), but it's one of those days when I wonder, "How will I be able to do all of this?"

Just a sidenote: we are in the planning stages to offer entertainment at what is going to be the most amazing Bat Mitzvah EVER! I'm so excited for this girl! She's going to have clowns waiting on her and her friends,a garden of illuminated labyrinths filled with otherworldly creatures, live music and dancing, one of the funniest clown performances I've ever seen, a trapeze artist and rigging for her and her guests to try trapeze themselves.... I'm sure there never has been a Bat Mitzvah (or an anything) quite like this.

Yesterday was MADNESS. Everyone was here! The normal office staff--Gregangelo, Jeffrey, Hiromi, Daria, and I, plus Dharkijav. Then a new painting artist arrives to paint upstairs in the "earth room", Gigi shows up to wash wigs, Donald (TV producer) and a cameraman are all over the house filming us and asking us about our work. Then in the middle of lunch, Bettina (sales, business development, actress) arrives to bare all before the camera about the latest upsetting news in her love life! There are no secrets here! Everything just happens at once!

I thought I might be recovering today, but the "slow days" of winter (which were not at all slow for me since I was putting together grant proposals the whole time) have clearly come to an end.

This company is growing exponentially, and fast, and we're all stepping up to new challenges at break-neck speed.

I need a nap!
-karen

2008-01-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

It is Saturday morning,Gregangelo and I are just returned a few weeks ago from a long trip to Turkey and the Netherlands and are forging full with full "Velocity" into the new year.

Gregangelo and I are getting ready to leave the house for a V-Troupe rehearsal, I just spoke with Andie Rose, a V-Troupe aerialist, on the phone about a new date and combining 2 aerial apparatus into one. The photo associated with this post is Andie. She is a magical and beautiful young woman who is attending School of the Arts here in San Francisco and has been training in circus arts for approximately 9 years. We are rehearsing a new act that Gregangelo and Naja, our associate artistic director, have created for an event next Thursday with the emphasis on profiling the human body at its peak in performance. The event is for The Health Trust a great organization. Its mission is to make Silicon Valley the healthiest region in America. They are presenting an Gunter von Hagens' Body World 2 at the San Jose Tech Museum. We are part of a special event for the exhibit and Health Trust.

In addition we are preparing today for our Variety Arts Showcase at CUE Space in Oakland. This showcase features Bay Area Artists in all disciplines and provides a platform for artists to showcase developing, new or existing acts in front of a public audience. Disciplines often included are Circus Aerial Acts, Contortion, Dance, Magic & Illusion, Comedy Sketches, Visual Arts, Film, Live music and more.

January is turning out to be a very busy administrative month in regards to future events and opportunities. There are multiple exciting developments in discussions for the new year and I look forward to sharing these in the near future.

Jeffrey

2008-01-17T17:47:00.000-08:00

"Reveling in Ancient Verse" Today is one of those days when I am reminded of how charmed my life is. I spent most of the day extracting pieces of poetry from a book of Ancient Egyptian Literature (straight from the walls of the pyramid tombs) and adapting it into script format for our arabesque show next month. The show will tell the story of the Egyptian city, Heliopolis, City of the Sun, from the perspective of a woman (a Heliopolyte, if you will) who has been imprisoned and condemned to death for living a life of freedom, joy, and individuality in a "community" where such behavior is not tolerated. Sound familiar? Of course it does. This was inspired by a wonderful article by a brilliant Muslim man, Asef Bayat, titled "Islam and the Politics of Fun." Bayat is clearly in favor of Muslims having fun, as opposed to...not. The story of Heliopolis is one of a culturally vibrant, celebratory, and magical ancient city, and in our performance we will recreate modern versions of performances that might have taken place there.
I was buzzing with inspiration and my heart nearly burst as I read these beautiful poems, some of them written by Akhenaten! I will put some of them in this post to share. The poems below are from the "Love Songs" segment, and though we didn't include these in the script, I will include them because I think they are sentiments we can all relate to at times. The amazing part is how true they feel after so many thousands of years--they date from the Ramesside Period (ca. 1292-1070 BC)!

-"Why, just now, must you question your heart?"

Why, just, now, must you question your heart?
Is it really the time for discussion?

To her, say I,
take her tight in your arms!
For god's sake, sweet man,
it's me coming at you,

My tunic,
loose at the shoulder!

-"I Love you through the daytimes"

I love you through the daytime,
in the dark,
Through all the long divisions of the night,
those hours
I, spendthrift, waste away alone,
and lie, and turn, awake 'til whitened dawn.

And with the shape of you I people night
and thoughts of hot desire grow live within me.
What magic was it in that voice of yours
to bring such singing vigor to my flesh,
To limbs which now lie listless on my bed without you?

Thus I beseech the darkness:
Where gone, O loving man?
Why gone from her whose love
can pace you, step by step, to your desire?

No loving voice replies,
And I (too well) perceive
how much I am alone.

-From "Songs of the Birdcatcher's Daughter"

My heart remembers how I once loved you
as I sit with my hair half done,
And I'm out running, looking for you,
searching for you with my hair down!

If I ever get back, I'll weave
and intricate hairdo down to my toes.
Love, there's so much time now to finish....

2008-01-15T15:05:00.001-08:00

It’s a Tuesday morning. Jeffrey and I are quietly planning the next Artists’ Showcase at CUE. I ask him which artists I should include this time. On the potential lineup we have “Theatre of PI,” an ensemble of seven clowns who are presenting a new show directed by one of our V-Troupe members, Kelsey Custard. We will also be showing a new film by Hiromi Yoshida, our resident filmmaker.
“Oh, by the way,” Jeffrey adds casually, “if you haven’t heard from the sword-swallower, could you see if the bed-of-nails guy is available for our Arabesque show in February.”
“Yeah sure. Bed of nails. Gotcha.” These are the kinds of things you won’t hear in any other work place, and it’s also why most people gaze at me with a confused expression when I try to explain to them what I do for a living.
The rest of the afternoon is spent writing up information for Darkhia Dhamba to help her renew her work visa (she’s a dancer from Mongolia). The woman who is requesting information about her work is asking for an itinerary of all the jobs she will be doing over the next year. We have SF LGBT Pride Parade, SF Carnaval, and the Arizona market is picking up now that we have a Circus School there. Rachel called today regarding several AZ events including one with the GLBT community, which is where we love to support.
Next, Daria (our Book Keeper) waltzes in with a phone call from Honda. They want circus performers for a new commercial they will be shooting. Jeffrey takes the call with the same calm demeanor that he would take any call. “Hi, this is Jeffrey. I’m the Managing Partner for Velocity…Yes…Well we have a core circus company that trains and performs with us regularly. Are you looking for a classical circus look, or contemporary?…We have everything from fire-eaters to stilt-walkers, acrobats, aerial artists….” Get the idea? Not a normal life by any means.

2008-01-15T12:41:00.000-08:00

"Last Night's Rehearsal at CUE Space"Gregangelo, Jeffrey, and I walk into CUE in the middle of a belly dance class. Within thirty minutes, the space is buzzing with forty artists here to rehearse for our Embarcadero Ice-Rink Opening and Tree-Lighting Ceremony onNovember 16th. Gregangelo, our artistic director, is shouting orders as usual. My part in the event will be small, so I wait in the background until I hear my name. "...Karen's going to be the Mother Dragonfly, so I want all the background characters to look at her for acting cues, you know, react to the fight. Yes there's going to be a fight."I sit and talk for awhile after the first announcements and warmups start. Taiz, Courtney, and I wonder what we will be doing at this rehearsal. And then the tree costume arrives. Jeffrey tells Taiz that he will be a giant tree . . . on stilts, of course. "Karen, you're going to be like a kind of fairy, walking around with him among the guests.""But I thought I was a Dragonf-!”. He doesn't hear me. How could he? There's too much going on. Two girls on blinking rollerskates with wooden staffs are practicing a routine in front of the dance troupe who is also rehearsing. In the next room a bunch of men are swordfighting. Andie Rose is doing an aerial hoop act, while Gregangelo and some new artists are twirling in the air on ropes, and the Taiko drummers are going nuts in another room. I wait. Group rehearsals start. I look around and find myself in the middle of a warehouse in Oakland, surrounded by four trolls and a prince (all with samurai swords), a young aerialist, and a giant tree-creature. The Taiko Drummers are still pounding away, the dancers are still dancing, the roller skaters still rolling, and now Marisa has started her opera singing. Gregangelo is putting us all in our places. He just came from one rehearsal to this one, and has another one to get to in five minutes, all in the same building, all in the same night. "Okay, trolls, I want youover here. Innocence, you're behind Karen's wings. And Karen, you're like, Mother Nature. So just react to the fight. Protect your children. They'll all be under your wings." Idanna begins the act with an acrobatic, contortionistic dance routine. The battle between good and evil ensues. Idanna retreats to the umbrage of my, um, wings and murmurs, "Gotta improv. I don't know what to do." Embrace the chaos. Welcome to the circus. -10/30/07

2008-01-15T12:40:00.002-08:00

"Another Day in the Life..."

Yesterday started with Gregangelo saying, “Get in the back room and strip and I’ll be there in a minute,” and ended with him introducing me as “Chuck, a little queer boy who likes to play with dolls…and other things.” The time in between was spent inventing twenty-some scenarios for puppets, all involving homosexual lust and bludgeoning with noses (the largest part of the puppet’s anatomy).

Okay, I guess I’ll explain.

Part of my job is to play characters at various events that Velocity Circus is hired to do. On Tuesday night I got a call from Gregangelo asking if I was available to do this. I had no idea what the event was or what I would be doing in it, so naturally, I said yes.

Gregg Hood, our GLORIOUSLY AMAZING technical director, picked me up at my house at 8 am. We picked up Darkhijav (that’s “dar-kee-awv”) Dhamba, seamstress/makeup artist/ Mongolian Dancer/ character performer/superwoman extroardinare, and headed to the San Mateo Event Center. The event turned out to be a trade show, where we were assigned a “booth space” to set up our “Sugared Kisses Shack” installation. For this particular occasion, the Shack featured our “American Icon” Statue entry—a living Barbie doll--as well as a human cupcake, and yours truly as a French clown performing puppet theatre from inside a tiny striped stall. For five hours. : ) Gregangelo donned a metallic, holographic purple body suit and roller blades, and fished for folks in monkey suits with candy sweets, demanding that they “compliment someone” before they got fed. Jeffrey adorned himself in his gorgeous new pink silk, ankle-length dressing jacket and spoke with guests. Bettina Devin appeared as “G.G. Bridges” charming everyone with her fog, rails, and styles. We started setting up at 9, costuming and makeup around 11:30 or 12, and the show started at 1.There weren’t many people at the trade show. It was primarily a PR opportunity for us (today’s work has been inputting info from all the connections we made into our system, and sending “nice to meet you” letters to them), and the time available gave us time to play imaginatively, (I sure was. Who else is gonna entertain me?), and to become…batty. Especially Gregangelo, but that’s typical. I’ll try to upload a photo of some of us in the Shack on this profile… 9/19/07

2008-01-15T12:40:00.001-08:00

Monday at Velocity. . .Things are picking up. We are getting a lot of press coverage. Our "American Icon" installation in the International Living Statues Competition in Nederlands was mentioned in the Leah Garchik column in the Chronicle today. News footage of the event is on YouTube .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7V0vsJqX9kToday, Jeffrey, Gregangelo, Hiromi Yoshida (our filmmaker), Kelsy Hiyakumoto (choreographer), Audrey Rosales (aerial artist), Bogey Batbayar (Mongolian Contortionist), Darkijav Dhamba, and Kristen Chaddock (dancer) are meeting at CUE for a fashion show and photo shoot.This might sound odd for a circus, but believe me when I tell you that there is no limit to what this company can and will do.Me? Just answering the phones and adding info to our database! Easy day for me.That's all for now.
9/17/2007 11:54 AM PDT

2008-01-15T12:39:00.001-08:00

Hi! My name is Karen! A couple of weeks ago I started working as Velocity Circus' administrative assistant.I'm starting to post on this blog each day to record my experiences with Velocity.

Today I spent most of my time organizing information for a grant proposal for C.U.E. space, the nonprofit extension of Velocity Circus. The award money (if we get it) will help us buy equipment for our rehearsal space.

The phone has been ringing all day, as usual! Steven Katz from "Because We Care", an organization producing a film about heroes of the great civil liberties and social justice movements over the last century, has been working with us to design a circus event for his company. Anne Fox wants Jeffrey Ferns (my supervisor) to act as a spokesperson for Velocity's Fashion Department on a television special.We had a brilliant and insightful young guest named Ian today. Gregangelo gave Ian a tour of the household, which is a work of art unto itself. This house is available for tours and is a hotspot for clients and artists of all kinds, and mosaic artists. It represents all of Gregangelo's (he is the artistic director) and Velocity's influences and the full scope of his vast artistic vision, which extends into all aspects of his life and the life of Velocity. These influences include Egyptian mythology and art, Circus Arts, a multitude of global cultural traditions, science, astrophysics, and the wondrous mysteries of our solar system.

What has really inspired me about CUE and Velocity is the compassion and humility of everyone who works here. The entire mission of CUE and its involvement with other social circus groups, the amazingly talented children who have been given a new shot at their lives through these organizations, amaze me. more later...
9/11/2007 5:20 PM PDT

2008-01-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

CUE: Children United by Experience in West Oakland, and Within the Global Network of the Social Circus Movement CUE (Children United by Experience) is part of a greater network of social circus groups around the world, whose emphasis and cultures vary infinitesmally.

And what is social circus? According to Wikipedia, “ Social Circus refers to the growing movement toward the use of circus arts as mediums for social justice and social good.” Social Circus encompasses groups of children worldwide, who are exponentially enriching their own education, social skills and self-confidence, while healing their communities through circus arts.

A great example of social circus as a vehicle for self-empowerment in challenging environments, is the TunaHAKI Foundation’s youth circus from Tanzania, which provides orphaned children with shelter, food, clothing, and professional training in the arts. In this way, the children are provided for, and are simultaneously investing in their future and self-sustainability with careers in the arts.

TunaHAKI has been a featured guest with CUE. Velocity Circus is a San Francisco-based Arts and Entertainment Company, which has returned to the community that has supported it, through CUE. CUE is a place for children to enhance their understanding of the world around them, improve social interaction and relationships within their communities, and strengthen their learning abilities through training and mentorship in the arts. The arts that children benefit from at CUE include acrobatics, trapeze, aerial performance, clowning, juggling, character performance, music and dance. Training in the arts is known to improve learning capacity in areas such as math, science, and language for children, and working creatively with peers and experienced mentors improves their self esteem by providing a sense of belonging and community in a positive environment.-
9/10/2007 10:37 AM PDT

2007-08-07T10:07:00.001-07:00

good morning everyone
today is just a continuation of my monthly internship which is getting to a close. But in the mean time i still have a lot of work to do so i can't be worrying about that. i've got much editing to do, which i am a little nervous about because i've said so much about how much i want to do this and that, i now it's finally happening and i hope i can stnad up to my own hype.
Now, what i've been seeing is a lot of the process of how they work an event. i've seen the begining where it starts off as just a phone call, then the negotiating of the venue, artists, price etc.... i've seen and been helping out to the drawing of the contracts. One step i haven't seen is the rehersing of the acts. But i've seen the making of the extravigant incredible costumes. I've had to help out with the set up of the events, not physically helping out with the setting up but, i'vemaking sure the artists are going to be there at the right place at the right time. That was a task i didn't like so much, i don't like being on the phone with strangers....i don't know why. but it's a skill i have to get accustomed with whether i like it or not. And then the final step, the actual event. Of which i have not yet seen, but i have seen pictures. I will very soon come to an event and be able to see the seting up of the venue and the show itself. Gregangelo and Velocity Circus are having an exhibition at the DeYoung museum in San Francisco on Friday 17th of August (2007). I've heard the bustling excitment among the artists as well as the costume designers, costume makers, the artists not even involved and of course the managers of the whole thing. Should be very exciting.
I'm actually going to film the event which, again, makes me nervous. as far as i know, i'm the only one filming this event, so it's all on me...exciting.
well anyway, till tomrrow.
actually tomrrow's my day of so till thursday.

By:Tara Bayat

2007-08-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

hello everyone,
well, i haven't done this in quite a while. i've been really busy with a lot of data base work that i've been doing for the company. it's not the most interesting work to do but it is work that has to be done. that actually has been what i've been doing for the past week and a half. But for this week, my last week here at velocity, i'm going to be working a lot with film, i'm continuing with my life by working here and being in the san francisco film world. Progress is coming with that but coming slowly. i'm also filming tours that gregangelo gives of the house. really interesting stuff. i've been here 3 weeks already and i had no idea what the house was all about. it's much more than unconventional. It's almost unimaginable. Each room has a story and a theme to it. I liked seeing the reactions of the people looking at the rooms in the house and listening to gregangelo's explanation of it all. Every detail in this house has been thought of and thought through carefully so it makes sense to others. Speaking of the tours, i'm going to be doing another one today, it'll be nice to take me away from the work i normally do here, and do something more creative.
I actually should take this blog to a close, i've got a lot of work to do. i'll see you next time.

By:Tara Bayat

2007-07-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone
My first week of work is coming to a close. But i'm not to shaken up about it because my 2nd week will begin soon after that. Yesterday, the main project of the day, for us in our little nook of the house, was creating and building up a myspace page. (Speakig of which, myspace.com/velocitycircus). And suprisingly enough, that did take quite a while. At least for me anyway, considering i don't have a myspace page and i'm not well aquainted with it. anyway, if you're reading this and you do have a myspace account look us up and be our "friend"!
So, enough of myspace. I just got an assignment that i am very excited about. over the next 3 weeks, i am to make a short film (around 8 minutes) about my experience here at Velocity Circus, and also my time here in San Francisco. So i got a cammera (but no crew) and i'm to start filming right away. i'm actually a little nervous, i've never made a film before, even though i go on and on and on about movies and ideas, i haven't actually made a film yet. That in large part has to do with the fact that i don't own a cammera, but i am getting one this summer so, no more excuses. But i am going to have guidance for this, when i'm done filming, i'm going to be working with Velocity Circus's film and media person, and she'll be helping me put it all together.
I'm about to make a plan/outline for this little project of mine, so if you are interested i suggest you read my next blog which comes out the 23rd.

By Tara Bayat

2007-07-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hello all
Well, i'm back for another day of my internship here at Velocity Circus.
Frankly i'm not much of a blogger, so if you would forgive me if my writting isn't of the conformed blogging style, i'm sure if you would just bear with me for a few more posts, in time i'll get the hang of it. I soubt that there are many jobs, where the first thing you do when you get to work is ramble on about whatever you want. For a first job, this isn't too shabby. But really it's a fantastic enviornment for someone interested in the arts. There is art on every wall, every ceiling, every floor of the house. My eyes are still dazzled from the vibrance of this place (even though i've already been here for a few days now)
So, as an intern my job is to do things that my boss doesn't really have time to do. For example, getting more contacts, write personalized letters to those contacts (both of which i did yesterday). In any other place i would probebly find these jobs boring, but because it's here, where i've got someone working on film to my right, and someone else dealing with the customers and emplyees on my left, i really get a sense of how to mix business with art. i'm so releived that i was able to work in a place like this for my first job and not in a flourescent grey office space, which works for some people but, is hell for others. Here in every room there's a different theme, no one is doing the same two things, i'm hearing different languages echo throughout the house. i've really been in no place like this.
well... i should probebly get to work now, and i will get back to you all tomrrow
till then

By Tara Bayat

2007-07-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

My summer with Velocity Circus started on Monday 16th of July. A late start to a summer internship, but i had only arrived in San Francisco on the 10th and i thought a week would be a good length to get settled in.
My first taste of my work space was from the outside of the house. Two small sphinx sat at both sides of the steps. i walked up to the door where a watered budah sat next to me. i rang the door bell and was greeted by my two new bosses, Gregangelo and Jeffrey Ferns. Walking into the house, i was in sensory overload with all the rich colours and the ancient Egyptian/Persian feel of the room. I've never seen any room more alive and vibrant than each room in this house. Every room has been carefully thought of and has been taken care of. It's obvious just from walking in that house that the people who live here live and breathe what they do, and then transfer it to their walls.
It was a releif to know that i'd be working in an enviorment that's alive and i'd be around people that are passionate about that they do. My first task was to read the artists contract to understand what restrictions and obligations they have. i was sitting next to Hiromi Yoshida, a japanese film maker who handles Velocity's film and media department. just from sitting next to her i was able to see the process of cutting together some film (more plainly known as editing). The purpose of my first day was to understand the motions of how people work at Velocity Circus and how i'd be able to get caught in it too.
Looking forward to what Jeffrey has in store for me today

To be continued.......

By Tara Bayat

2006-07-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
We began the day with Gregangelo and I having a heart to heart about what we want to accomplish today. We both looked at each other, and said,it is about the artists, the kids and the community. We need to be big spirits today, because if we do not own the day, it will slip away. It is comforting to know that our regular Special Events business is in good and caring hands with Rachel Stegman,Laura Fraenza, Denise Adkins and Lorna Zilba. Their support allows us to nurture and grow this show and our artists.

The first phone call before we left the house was to The Blow Up Lab. They were printing a "Circus Extravaganza" banner that would be displayed over the marquee to attract PIER 39 visitors to the show. I called to see if we could pick up the banner on our way to the show at 10am and to my elated surprise Bryan of the Blow Up Lab, was planning on delivering the banner, as he understood how important it was to have it in place before the show, and our time was limited, he volunteered to go the extra mile. It was a great sign, (pun intended) and a moment that whispered of wonderful things and honorable business. I highly recommend their business and look forward to building their business alongside ours!

Our day at the theatre began with a rigorous rehearsal and fine tuning of both choreography and lines, followed by a heart to heart with the cast and tech crew about uplifting the audience and each other to a place beyond each others expectations. There is a sense of family that is present now in the cast, we have won with each other, we have lost with each other, and more importantly in our most vulnerable moments that each and everyone of us has, we have truly become a "friend" to each other in the truest sense of the word.

I dressed in my Native American Phoenix ceremonial regalia, and led a parade of 5 of us down Jefferson to Fisherman's Wharf. It was quite a spectacle to see, me with my huge red wings fluttering in the winds, Kelsey and Rebecca in their belly dance costumes playing the Dumbek and finger cymbals, Vladimir trailing with a huge smile in his purple tunic and accordion humming traditional Russian melodies and sweet, dear Apollo greeting people we passed by and encouraging them to come see the show.

It was very refreshing to step outside the theatre and see the energy and excitement around our parade, we didn't parade to create a spectacle, but to see, touch and hear the spirit of families coming to our lovely San Francisco to be entertained, enriched and embraced. I thought a lot on the walk about growing up in Arizona, my life on the reservations and people of color. They were happy thoughts about the joy of embracing one another and what a wonderful place this city can be when we truly allow each other the room to breathe.

Apollo stopped and began speaking with a Latin woman in Spanish with 5 kids, she seemed a bit perplexed by all the commotion and her kids clung next to her, part hugging her, part peeking out at all the colorful characters making a commotion. She reminded me a lot of my mother, there were 8 of us kids,with a single mom and figuring out what to do with us on a summer day was always difficult for my mother if not financially burdensome. I spoke to her in Spanish, and told her about the show, and that kids are free. I saw her look at her 5 kids all under 12 and I said, "never mind" how many, bring the kids, they will have a great time, and it is about them having a great experience today. We left her with a rack card and danced our way back to the theatre to prepare for the show. I wondered as we left, would she come to the show. It is alot to ask a stranger to leave the safety of their world and enter a new one. I saw her look at her kids, and then look at us. Her kids were these lovely spirits dancing around her cocoon she so lovingly provided and I understood that her heart would provide the direction needed.

As we arrived at the theatre, Miguel Martinez was in full Native American Grass Dance dress, welcoming us back with Loree Lee Harper in her 10ft lime green Luna Moth wings and glorious smile, taking a picture with a young family on their way to Aquarium by the Bay.

Before the show Miguel Martinez and I take the stage as is our calling, and begin to dance around the stage, Miguel dances a traditional Grass Dance which prepares the stage or "camp" for all the other performers, and I fall into a rhythmic movement and clear the space and corners of any negative energies or thoughts that have drifted by. We dance to open the hearts of the audience to see wonder and take them away from their toil. We dance because we care for one another and especially the cast, we dance because we want the acrobats to have a safe show, the aerialist to be light in the air, the singers voices to soar high and that the laughter will blossom open heavy hearts.

Shortly after, Apollo comes back into the dressing room and gives us a 10 minute call to top of the show, he mentions" It is a very enthusiastic crowd" so be very big! He whispers in my ear that the Latina mother and her kids, made it to the show, I bow my head and give thanks, as I move into place. There is a huge Mongolian crowd in the audience to support our Mongolian artists Darkhia Damba and Bolorrma Batbayar who are in the show. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and spreads like the Japanese saying "Takashi" mentioned in the earlier blog "The water never runs higher than its source" and boy was the source of the laughter and enthusiasm of its purest! To hear children laughing and shouting out, the parents lost in the comedy and their children's delight, wonder and inspiration dripping like honey, and all of this with no barrier such as language or expectation. The audience gave incredible energy to us today, and we threw it back to them three fold from stage. After the show ended, I watched the Latina mother leave with her kids, they were all excited and speaking to her in Spanish about their favorite parts, she was smiling and laughing as they pulled at her to listen to them first, fighting for her attention. I asked in my heart that many blessings would find their way into her and her children's lives, just as San Francisco and Gregangelo had found their way into mine.

I listened closely to the chatter and enthusiasm back stage, as the cast, were enjoying a beautiful moment of "what it is all about" and knowing we had given it our best with purest heart, and the universe had given us the purest audience and acknowledgment in return.

After the show Gregangelo, Rita Abrams our lovely, and graceful collaborator and I went to dinner in North Beach to work on an outline/script for an upcoming private gala, and it was the first time that the three of us had met outside of the show, relaxed, laughed and enjoyed the city. We had grown closer in 6 months, we weathered a tough storm, found a new benchmark of friendship and in the setting sun of San Francisco on this rare and warm day and without a spoken word, knew we were with each other for "Life". A good place to be.....

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Ferns
www.gregangelo.com/1906

photo by Scott Saraceno

2006-07-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Velocity Circus' Blog, we created this blog to interact and share the remarkable and fascinating stories of our cast and journey in creating and bringing 1906~ A Journey Through the Mythical City to stage. In this beautiful production we bring 18 artists from different disciplines and from around the world to share the stage in celebration of the spirit of San Francisco from the 1906 Earthquake and Fire, through today and into the future.

We begin this blog with the recent press around the show. We have been very fortunate to have great coverage and support from numerous media channels including The Marin independent Journal, Contra Costa Times, ABC Channel 7, The Bay Times, Where Magazine, ArtsExtra, and numerous other media outlets.

Please visit the show website to see video and a gallery of images from the show. The website will be updated frequently and the blog will become a daily journal with different voices of the cast, coming in to share their stories.

Here are 2 of our favorite quotes from the recent press, Pat Craig and Laurie Bushman both critics reviewed the show, they had the vision and clarity to see the heart of what the show is about, and we note their suggestions as we continue to develop the show.

'1906' a mythical journey indeed
By Pat Craig
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
For those who view San Francisco as the world's fifth or sixth great religion -- which would include those people born there before the Summer of Love, as well as most contemporary tourists -- "1906 ... A Journey Through the Mythical City" is a wonderfully sweet, joyfully enthusiastic tribute to darned near everybody's favorite city.

A Journey Through The Mythical City
By Laurie BushmanPublished: June 29, 2006

What sets 1906 apart from most tourist fare is the sincerity of its vision. It feels like the people responsible for this show actually love this city and are trying to share the essence of what makes SF special.

And our least favorite because it fails to see the heart and artistry in the show, is from Robert Hurwitt of the San Francisco Chronicle- If you have not read this one or have, enough said...

And a heartfelt thank you from an audience member-Takashi Thomas Tanemori

Gregangelo & Jeffrey Ferns:
I am a friend of Lorna Zilba. As you have known her, she is an extraordinary human being who has the heart as big as Pacific Ocean as high as heaven. I have been so blessed by knowing her, knowing her is truly treasure indeed!

I was invited by her to enjoy myself as I was entertained with such performance by your artists, on June 23, 2006; some of their detailed and meticulous choreography were beyond my imaginations that I was taken back and back into the history of San Francisco and many times I was mesmerized in such that I have forgotten that I was there alone with my guide dog, at my feet.

As I returned home knowing this was the first time (how long???) that I have ever entertained myself with such luxury of beauty and elegance!, but my heart filled with gratitude for your staff at the window (will-call ticket window). There was a young man and young lady, who immediately assessed my needs since I was alone with my own guide dog, without a sighted-friend to accompany with me. There were so concerned, not only I will have the best seat in the house (right front of the main stage area), but their heartfelt concern for the safety of my partier, Yuki (my guide dog) was overwhelming that brought tears to my eyes.

When I am encountered with such gifted staff of yours at first sight and these two have discussed with each other and then, could you ever think that she practically has taken my hand and led me to the seat, as she has explained to me what will be taking place during the performance. Once again, she made sure that my dog was comfortable and safe, as I was to enjoy the afternoon.

I take my hat off to your staff; as we say in Japanese, the water never runs higher than the source. I think the secret is nothing but by your exemplified leadership. This is so obvious to me, as Lorna has told me that your generosity that provided me with complimentary tickets for the concert.

Dear Takashi,
You words fell like soothing rain on scorched earth and your writings are well placed on this day. I believe only the creator's hand could take reward for moving you into our world at this moment. Thank you for the blessing and for reminding us what it is all about, and what and why we must remember the heart when we take the stage. We also look forward to the release of your book "Bridge to Forgiveness" recounting your personal journey, path and experiences since the bombing of Hiroshima. sincerely, jeffrey & Gregangelo

Takashi Tanemori Profile from "Bridge to Forgiveness"

My journey, chronicled in the forthcoming book "Bridge to Forgiveness" has been long, difficult, and inextricably linked to the seeming opposites of hatred and love. In my path from Hiroshima, conflicts have shaped and redirected me, today allowing me to express my love and gratitude for two countries that both wounded and nurtured me.

The result of these tribulations has been the greatest gift: a solution to human conflicts, a rite of passage created through forgiveness. My life story demonstrates how a heart twisted by hatred and revenge can be transformed by forgiveness, evolving to a path of peaceful wisdom and the essential work of healing human hearts.

My life-mission and goals are rooted in my Father's teaching, "Live your life for the benefit of others. Then, we will all benefit." I believe this universal principle is the key to living peacefully with each other.

Even though I am now almost completely blind due to the late embers of the naked sky of Hiroshima, when I first saw with the "vision of the heart", I finally understand I am at last, truly able truly see. When I had an epiphany two decades ago, I was convinced that forgiveness is the first step toward peace, as it defines our relationship with the Divine Creator and sustains all human relationships. No matter what, you can choose to forgive. We all face this challenge in our in my daily lives.

As a survivor of Hiroshima, my firm belief is in a clear and simple message - - we can settle individual human conflicts and differences of national enmity, ethnic hatred, cultural divisiveness without resorting to violence or war. There need not be any endless cycle of revenge.

When we are able to conquer the raging war in our own hearts, one-by-one, what Japanese people call: kokoro no yasuragi yutori . This inner-transformation is much more powerful than any atomic weapon in shifting the world toward peace. I believe that inner-transformation can make nuclear weapons and war fall by the wayside!

We can create our lives by
Transforming our experience
Into something new,
Like a butterfly soaring freely
In the splendor.

In future blogs we will explore the different cultures from our show and the fascinating behind the scenes of 1906 including a Native American blessing ceremony that happens before each show, A young Mongolian contortionist's experiences in the show and here in the United States, experiences from our 2 young pre-teen aerialists that are being mentored by the cast, our work in the community via our non-profit www.cuekids.org and our exciting upcoming guests from Prescott Circus who we will partner with in programming throughout the year. Prescott's goals are: To provide a culturally conscious educational program promoting leadership, performing arts education, skill training, academic progress, and life experience opportunities for youngsters in a context that allows them to fully explore their talents and enriches self-esteem.

We encourage you to participate in the blog by posting comments or giving us suggestions on what you would like to hear more about.

We want to thank everyone who has e-mailed, phoned and sent letters supporting us and the show!
photo by Scott Norlund