PWB India 2013 Bootcamp

Blog Number 2.

SHOWTIME!!!

            I am going to skip forward through 13 days of games, playing, creating, discussing, explaining, brain-storming, stretching, breakfasting, living, working and inventing together, working hard every day learning dance routines, finding music, making playlists, wiping playlists, collecting costume props and training with each other for the first time, to create the PWB 2013 India Tour Show! “School Daze”

The time has sped by with all our energy and time immersed into the creative process with little spare to soak in the idyllic paradise surroundings of Kudle Beach, Gokarna.  All day we have been in the Yoga space at Namaste Farm together, learning how to work with each other and forming a team.

Sunday arrives very quickly, our fantastically designed posters by Paul, advertise our show for today at 5.30 on Kudle Beach, word has spread and there is an excited atmosphere as we take breakfast in the usual cafe.  The children of the owners are pointing and arranging the posters, they have remembered the previous shows and ask us if we have the police man again or the really bendy girl…It’s a surprise we tell them, they just have to wait.

With bellies full we head up to the space to run through a scene that needs work and to have a full dress rehearsal.  All goes well except for the music, which gets wiped from the I-pod.  A re-sync is necessary; however this takes a lot longer than expected.  Time is ticking and the computer is flicking and my belly is aching for some lunch, no time for nerves!  The rest of the team head to the beach, our stage for the evening, with the props and costumes, at 5.00 the I-pod is ready and I rush to join them.  Hey we have a show to do!

It seems a bit disjointed at first, as a crowd forms and we attempt to set up the stage in the sand, I haven’t even got changed yet but the music is playing and the people are coming, and the questions start flying…Where will the fire props go? Who’s seen my YoYo? What’s the order of the fire show again? Did I bring my waistcoat down? Haha, as I say no time for nerves.  I change and prey I have overcome my technology fears and that we have a show playlist!

A big crowd is forming now, children, travellers and locals, dogs, hippies and a Holy man who sits on the rock directly behind us embracing the spectacle.  At least the Holy man is wearing Orange, this is our chosen colour for “School Daze PWB 2013” and we are all ready for the debut performance.  It is as the title suggests a school themed show at a fun circus filled school with lots of laughter and joy.

The school day starts at the bus stop; we have been watching the sunsetand timing our show to begin at the optimum moment, the timing is perfect.  YoYo antics, the likes of which I have never seen at the bus stop, quickly followed by the arrival of the bouncing unicycle bus…with accompanying horn.  Hula hoops are up next, the show is flying by.  A beat boxing register and playground games with a hip-hop dance to spice it all up.  We are laughing as hard as the audience, trying to keep in mind wise words from Chez: “We’re not being children.  We are playing at being children.”

A Jurassic 5 inspired classroom club routine and onto dinner time, which you guessed it involves spinning plates and Opera.  The Sun is setting and after a nifty diabolo duo of Paul and I, the time is right for the FIRE!  This part of the show has unfortunately had little time dedicated to it; the performers don’t even know which songs I have chosen for some of the routines; however the skills in the team produce a top show which will only get better as we train more together.  The grand finale with Livi performing double fire hoop is outstanding but will also need a little more work to make it more GRAND.

Clapping and bowing and I shout myself hoarse explaining to the crowd the nature of the project and how they can follow us on our adventure…which is just now beginning!!  WOW what a reaction and what a send off to keep us smiling till Kolkata, our next stop!

Andy.