All Good Things Come to an End

...but then there's always a vacation!!!

I can't believe it's already the 13th of September. The circus just ended and I'm back in London once again (at my Godfather's) ready for a ten day vacation around Europe. The end came so quickly and I don't think it has fully hit me yet that this magical experience is really over. What an adventure I was embarking on last April....little did I know how far I would come with my assistant choreographer/director role as well as performing in the show as one of the two dancers. I really loved touring around the United Kingdom these last five months and I'm going to miss my circus family dreadfully. I'll think of them when I bring some of their phrases back to the UK: "That's well nice!" or "You knob" or "That's knaff" or "Nice one!" There are also some ruder ones...

Our last few sites went really well (we were all sold out!) and we had another visit from Helena Bonham-Carter and family as well as designer Vivienne Westwood. Our last weekend of shows in Cirencester brought a comedy show by some of the performers on Friday night and a visit from Molly Molloy the director, on Saturday night we put on a spoof show of the main circus acts and the Martinez family visited me from London, and Sunday my photographer friend Lia Chavez and her husband David visited and after the last show we had a big party. The comedy show was put on by Will Buchanan our drummer, Gabor Vosteen our musical clown, and Olivier Taquin our mime act. Olivier and his partner Boris were two men watching a scary/romantic/funny/trajic movie and was such a wonderful use of facial expressions over a well chosen soundtrack. Gabor then did a theatrical rendition of Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands" and Will closed the show with some stand up comedy. Saturday night's spoof show was so funny and so creative I absolutely loved watching it (and performing as He Yuan and Yang Rui's Chinese globe act wannabes). Finally, last night was incredible with London band "The Trojans" (Gaz of Gaz's nightclub's band) performing in the ring and everyone dancing. There was a hog roast and cocktails served as well, and everyone was in great spirits. However, today was another matter as everyone was so sad this morning taking down the tent, finishing up their packing, and making their way to the next chapter of their lives. I left on a tearful goodbye but taking so much with me from the experience.

I am so incredibly grateful for everyone who visited me on the tour. Thanks to Kurt, Mom and Dad, the Hartwell family, Tia Helena and Helo with Caaarlo, the Magoris family, the Martinez family, and Lia Chavez and her husband David. Finally, thanks to Molly Molloy my mentor and the most wonderful director I could have worked for in my first assistant choreographer and director position.

I'm really looking forward to heading off to Paris and then Amsterdam for a 10 day holiday to visit my godmother and friends! On the way back from Amsterdam I'll make another stopover in London to take some dance classes and do some more photography work with Lia. Then it's back to the Big Apple where I will finally be reunited with boyfriend Kurt, family, and friends.

PS I've just received word that the Ivoryton Playhouse in Connecticut (where I performed in the musical "Evita" in the summer of 2008) is putting on the circus musical "Barnum" in December! Jackie Hubbard has already invited me to take part so it looks as if I might be working on another circus musical to come!

That's all for now, with very much love

Carolina the Traveling Circus Ballerina

You Know You Work for the Circus When...

You Know You Work For The Circus When......

Brian the Goose wakes you up sqwawking outside your window

The horses poop in the ring and there’s no time to scoop it so you dance on horse poo in the ball scene

You practice walking the wire in your spare time

On your day off you decide to learn aerial dancing on the silks

The cook’s electric scooter is called Henry William George

Your fellow performer has a pet sheep named Colin

You go clubbing and the Russians start dancing like Borat

The showers get turned off on move day so post-show the cast is taking down the tent in full clown makeup and high visibility jackets

You wear wellies with your tutu when not in the ring

You are admitted to see Buena Vista Social Club for free at the Hay on Wye festival because you’re “with the circus"

It has really been the most incredible journey so far. We've rehearsed for three weeks in the Cotswolds (Bourton on the Water where the circus is based), then had ten days of previews in Gloucester followed by two weeks in Hay on Wye, Wales during Hay Festival, and now we're in Cheltenham on the racecourse. As you can see above...there's really never a dull moment when you work for the circus, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of this experience.

The Hay on Wye shows were jam-packed and we had some amazing reviews (just Google Giffords Circus) such as the one done by "The Stage" here in the UK. On our day off we had a chance to record the official Giffords Circus "Yasmine! A Musical" CD so that will be out soon ready for purchase. We had a lot of fun recording it. We've also had some celebrity writers, cooks, and comedians come to the shows so far, but apparently once we reach Tackley or Stadhampton (the closest shows to London) we should have some of the celebrities from last season showing up such as Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter as well as Kate Moss, Kate Winslet, and Vivienne Westwood. I would die if I get to meet any of them, how exciting. I'm such a fan of Tim Burton (see previous post regarding his exhibit at the MoMa when I was back in NY). I don't even need to say anything about Kate Moss or Vivienne Westwood as I model in NY and I am the biggest fan of anything fashion but especially those with the talent of Kate and Vivienne. As for other goings-on in Hay, there were interesting lectures, movie showings (such as the "Dharma Brothers" regarding introducing Vastassna meditation in prisons: great film), and concerts. Buena Vista Social Club was just one of them. I had a great moment listening and dancing to Buena Vista where they played the song "Chan Chan" that Ballet Hispanico danced to in their "Noche Latina." Seeing them live and having danced for Ballet Hispanico made me immensely happy.

Anyway, lots to tell and my mind is so scattered. We are about to pull up the tent here in Cheltenham and my little caravan is all unpacked after the pack-down process we all go through before moving towns. I don't know how I'll ever get used to living in my one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan anymore! I rather like this little caravan of mine. I've also worried less about the unimportant things while out here in the countryside. I'm still a New Yorker at heart, but living in my homeland of England with the carefree-ness of a Brazilian.

Speaking of Brazil: THE WORLD CUP STARTS IN JUST TWO DAYS!!! I have to root for Brazil first as allllllll my family lives there except my parents and brother, then I will root for England next as I was born here, then Spain and USA because I lived in each country for a long time. I can't wait to watch the matches. I've got a World Cup poster hanging on my wall tracking all the games with spots left for filling in the results and who makes it to the next round from each grouping.

More soon, with love

Carolina the Circus Gypsy