Circo de Los Niños

I pushed my way through the thick air of patchouli oil to arrive to my seat; perfectly positioned under the constellation of Orion.  I was ecstatic to be at my first outdoor circus.  I received two, last minute, tickets to a sold out event I had been wanting to see.  'Circo de los Niños' in San Pancho. 

Entre Amigos is a local organization which runs various community programs.  I am taking two of my classes there next week to visit their community recycling program.  The woman who started Entre Amigos recently won an award from the Dalia Lama for her work in her community.  Entre Amigos is bad ass.  I am always so inspired by their work and their vision.  Their efforts within the community are obvious.  You can feel the togetherness of the locals and foreigners; there is magic in the air in the pueblo of San Pancho.

Circo de Los Niños began a few years ago with the help of Gilles Ste-Croix, one of the creative directors for Cirque de Soleil.  In 2011, Giles selected local children who made the commitment to train five days a week, as part of an after school program; fostering skills in communication, collaboration, discipline and confidence.  To help with the workshops, a team of professionals flew in to work with the children.

I was most impressed with the 'professionalism' of the children throughout the show.  The choreography details and tricks were elaborate, yet no mistakes were made; or seen.  I left the show yearning to do more for my own community.  Eager to make a small difference, somehow.

The music was fantastic.  Check out these videos to hear some of the music...
and see my two favorite performances of the night.