The first PWB boot camp 2011

Karnataka, Gokarna, Kudle Beach

What do you get when you combine 9 people, 2 weeks and a multitude of skills, circus and imagination?

An hour-long show spanning dance, theatre, circus, clowning with a firey finale!

The first PWB boot camp was a stimulating meddle of skill swapping, sharing (on many levels), sunsets and show creation.   Having all met only once before jumping on the plane to India, the 2 week boot camp had to cover much ground.  It gave the 9 strong group vital time to get to know each other, to learn and swap teaching methods and skills and to create and polish the show ready to take on tour.

We stayed at Namaste yoga farm (www,spiritualland.com), above Kudle Beach. The affable Oliver runs the retreat and put us up in a small cottage, tent and hut split between the 9 PWB members. Two weeks on the beach might sound idyllic but the fierce daytime sun robbed us of the energy and brainpower we needed to work on show creation. Thankfully Namaste yoga farm came to the rescue with a covered practice space to shade us from the heat.

We split our time between daily morning and afternoon sessions. Inspiration for devising the show came from games, warm ups and group exercises, which also helped us to work on teaching techniques. Many of the shows strongest images came from the practice sessions initially intended to help us get to know each other. It’s often said too many cooks spoil the broth, or in this case slows progress, but the group dynamic worked well to keep the pace moving forward, the project on track and everyone happy.

Each evening found us practicing skills as the sun went down over the ocean and the two weeks proved exciting for all as new tricks and props were shared– including acrobalance, silk ribbon and juggling to name a few – and we used the time to improve old skills and rehearse set acts. Kudle was an inspiring place to be as many other talented and enthusiastic people joined the skills swap and fed into the learning experience.

As the day of the premier show drew nearer sourcing materials, props and costumes was sometimes a hot, frustrating but ultimately rewarding experience. It was a valuable lesson of being on Indian time (shanti shanti, slowly slowly). Note to self: things take longer than expected here, especially in the energy sapping heat of the day!

We took our selves to Om Beach (the next beach along the coast) for a pre-show fire practice; both to keep some of the fire show secrets hidden from our future audience and to spread the word about our premier show. (Which obviously worked as we were getting post-show praise as far as Paradise beach, three beaches away from Kudle! Whoop whoop!) The practice run was a brilliant evening, despite a hint of chaos as we tried to finish props in time, while spinning fire and holding the crowd. But we drew a sizeable audience and played with newly created fire toys (thanks to Mike!), plus testing ideas for the actual show.

The final show developed the initial street scene idea to take you on a riotous, often ridiculous circus ride showcasing the range of skills with which we want to inspire and teach the kids.

– Jemma