NY Clown Festival Workshop with Bob Berky-- Special Discount!

Architectures of Physical Comedy With Bob Berkey Saturday September 6th, 10-3 Sunday September 7th, 10-3 $200 Special Discount $150 ($50 off) 15 Students Max Break for lunch at The Battle Ranch Annex 405 Johnson Avenue, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11206 (2.5 blocks from Morgon stop off the L train) http://www.vampirecowboys.com/battleranch.htm This course will explore structural and rhythmic elements of physical comedy, and techniques for opening possibilities of exploration and writing in the world of the theatrical clown. Participants should come with at least a five minute piece to be "played" with. We will look at their current content and structure of the piece and search for ways of expanding the material in a way that supports and deepens the ideas that the artist intends. Who is the performer and what are they saying? Bob Berky has performed as a solo artist throughout the world. In New York, he has appeared at the Dance Theatre Workshop, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and as a featured artist at The Brooklyn Academy of Music Next Wave Festival in "The Alchemedians" and "The Power Project". "The Alchemedians", with Mr. Berky and Michael Moschen, was produced off-Broadway and toured worldwide. He has also performed at the Kennedy Center and Arena Stage in Washington and the National Theatre in London, England. Bob Berky directed movement and clowning for producer Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "Twelfth Night" at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. He was movement choreographer for the Longw harf Theatre's production of "A Flea In Her Ear", directed by John Tillinger. He has also worked as movement coach for such performers as Donal Donaldson, Gregory Hines, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer. Mr. Berky has taught at many universities and theaters as a guest artist and Master Teacher including The Juilliard School, Brandeis University, University of Texas at Austin, the North Carolina School for the Arts, UCSB, Smith College and the Dell Arte School of California. He has worked extensively as a teaching and performing artist with the Lincoln Center Institute. Current projects include a two man version of Richard 3 with Eric Bass and directing "El Magnifico" currently playing in the NY Clown Theatre Festival.

Dell'arte Goes to Bali 2009 Feb 9-March 12, 2009

FEBRUARY 9 - MARCH 12, 2009 Check out the Bali Blog 2007 by School Director Joan Schirle Since 1996, Dell'Arte International has invited students, teachers, designers, directors, and artists to immerse themselves in the traditional arts of Bali and encounter the profound spirit of the Balinese people. In this unique and wonderfully successful program participants study traditional Balinese performing arts and crafts with village masters, as well as Dell'Arte mask and movement techniques led by Dell'Arte's Founding Artistic Director Joan Schirle and Dell'Arte faculty. Bali is an extraordinary island where creativity is ordinary. In Bali, art serves the community, the religious practices, the economy and everyday living. This trip introduces students to Balinese performing arts in a way that allows them to experience how the Balinese live and create, and how family life and religious customs are woven into the creation of art. Unlike programs designed for art tourism, this program is designed for those who want to participate in the family life of outstanding Balinese master teachers as they teach. Due to the sacred nature of most Balinese arts and the complete intertwining of daily life with ritual, this trip can be an opportunity to deepen our internal connection to our own artistic practice, as well as to take inspiration for creative projects. THE PROGRAM The program begins with a relaxing traditional Balinese buffet dinner, followed by three days of orientation to the language, customs, and ceremonies of Bali, as well as informal meetings with Balinese teachers to observe their work. Orientation will include a symposium on masks with famous carver I. B. Anom, visits to the studios of several mask carvers and puppet makers, and attendance at the famous kecak, or monkey-chant dance by firelight. During the three and a half weeks of formal study, classes meet five days a week. Sometimes our study will take place in a classroom setting, sometimes outdoors, and most often in its traditional setting at village and temple ceremonies. In addition to their core area of study, all students will study kecak, the rhythmic vocal chant, as well as participate in alternating yoga/Alexander Technique, ensemble voice/chant sessions, plus symposiums on the links between Balinese and western mask performance traditions. All along there will be time for recreation such as mountain hiking, beaches, scuba, nightlife and shopping, including guidance on how to buy Balinese crafts. Massage and revitalizing body treatments are available at extremely low cost. CORE AREAS OF STUDY The core of the program is designed so that each student spends a large percentage of their class time on an area of interest most important to them, and we offer the following options: • Mask Carving • Mask Carving/ Balinese Dance (topeng) • Shadow puppetry (wayang kulit) / Balinese dance MASK CARVING Learn from a Balinese master carver how to work with the wood, the traditional tools (axe, chisels, knives), and the paints to create traditional and contemporary masks. You may order and bring home their own complete set of tools for under $40. Students will spend 4 – 6 hours daily in the home of their teacher. For a lively account of one man's encounter with mask carving, visit this link for interview with design Professor Ron Naverson (S. Illinois U, Carbondale), who was on our '03 trip. MASK CARVING/BALINESE DANCE Your morning will include one hour of Balinese dance. Topeng is the name of the masked dance form performed at most Balinese ceremonies. You will work in the studio of a Balinese master teacher, learning the basic walks, postures, arm and head movements in the mask. Topeng is based on stock characters like the king, minister, clown, and you will have the opportunity to see it performed at village ceremonies during your studies. Your carving program is the same as that described above, except that you will have a break after dance, and be carving in the afternoon, spending up to four hours daily with your teacher. SHADOW PUPPETRY(wayang kulit) & BALINESE DANCE Wayang kulit is the traditional art of storytelling through shadow puppets, performed by firelight. The puppet master is a combination of priest, storyteller, therapist, actor, and improviser, who manipulates and voices dozens of puppets in one play. Your morning will include one hour of Balinese dance (see above). Your afternoon will be spent at the home of a shadow puppet master, or dalang, who will instruct you in the art of leather puppet making: design, using the metal punches, painting and rigging techniques. You will observe how the traditional shadow screen is used and develop a short shadow play. Those who are interested in learning Balinese music may elect to spend some time learning the gamelan instrument, the gender, which accompanies shadow plays. For students who wish to study more dance, we will arrange for other teachers depending on your interest, at a small additional cost. ACCOMODATIONS Cost is based on double occupancy in fan-cooled rooms with two beds, private bath, and breakfast included. (Single rooms available for supplemental cost). There is a swimming pool, beautiful gardens, and a covered, open-air studio where some of our classes will be held. Other meals are available in nearby restaurants at very reasonable costs. Vegetarian food is easily available. You may apply for a shortened version of the program, but must be able to begin the course on the start date. Address inquiries to the Bali program director. All interested participants will receive detailed advance information on what to bring, how to prepare, and much more. FOR MORE INFO: EMAIL OR CALL info@dellarte.com 707.668.5663 or visit http://www.dellarte.com

Get Your Bouffon On!: Drop In Bouffon Classes in NY Mondays.

Through August 28, Audrey Crabtree (co-organizer of the NY Clown Theatre Festival at the Brick and who plays Laura in the Hilarious Bouffon Glass Menageree) , is hosting a drop in class in Bouffon. Mondays, 8-10 pm, Classes are $10 each, 521 West 26th Street, 2nd floor (between 10th and 11th) (More info below) For those not in the know, Bouffon is a clown style that is perhaps best described as what happens when birthday clowns are hit with a dose of gamma ray radiation, and turn evil, misanthropic, and MORE than a little sinister. And yet somehow, they still manage to be very funny. The form was re-captured from a French Renaissance tradition, and re-created by renowned clown teacher Philippe Gaulier in the 1970's-80's. Since then a lot of people have come to study and create bouffon characters and plays, and create theories about the Bouffon. Eric Davis (The Red Bastard, who directed above mentioned Bouffon Glass Menageree) writes in a description of one of his classes: While the clown is completely vulnerable, the bouffon shows no vulnerability. He exists to mock the society which has cast him out for being deformed. (this could be physically, spiritually, socially?) The Bouffon is the manipulator. Deformed, yet charming. Grotesque, yet beautiful. He is smart, entertaining and like the most brilliant idea, or deadly of viruses — utterly infectious. A bouffon's perfect day? While making a mockery of the mayor to a huge laughing crowd, the mayor wanders by to see what all the fuss is about. When the mayor sees that the crowd knows who he really is, the mayor has a heart attack and dies. Hip Hip Hooray! And Trav S.D., vaudeville historian and theatre critic, describes it this way in an article about aforementioned show: The novice is immediately misled by the similarity of the form’s name to “buffoon.” But that is a blind alley. “Bouffon” is to “buffoon” as a wet gremlin is to a dry one. To complicate matters, many bouffon practitioners are also clowns, and similarities exist between the two forms. The get-ups and behavior are grotesque; laughter is produced. But if these are clowns, they are cousins to Stephen King’s “Pennywise”, or the real-life John Wayne Gasey, that inveterate serial killer and sometime children’s birthday party entertainer. No one is jolly in bouffon. The carnation squirts acid; the joy buzzer releases a thousand volts. One laughs uproariously throughout, but one is constantly checking oneself: “Was that okay? No, that wasn’t okay. It goes against everything I’m supposed to think and feel as a civilized human being. If I laugh, it must be because I am possessed by devils”. Actually, one only starts to think those thoughts before being cut off by the next appalling remark or action onstage. All this by way of saying that if you are interested in bouffon, the drop in class that Audrey is running is definitely the place to be. Here's the class info. Enjoy. Or spread your infection (whichever is more appropriate to you!) Bouffon Workout Lab Drop-in “So I have studied bouffon…now WTF do I do with it?” Come to this weekly drop-in Lab! In this playful and supportive environment, we will begin with warm-ups, bouffon basics, and we will focus on the creation and showing of new material, development of character, and group work, led by Audrey Crabtree. Looking for people who have a bouffon base and want to expand on it. Get your Bouffon On! Monday nights July 28th-August 25th 8-10pm $10 Week202! Last week we had a lot of fun, and found out 2 hours is a very short time. Please bring a costume to play in. I will be there early to stretch outside-the closer everyone is to a little before 8pm the better. This week we will warm up, play together and spend the last 30 minutes showing some material that people would like feedback on. Here is the location: The FAR Space 521 West 26th Street, 2nd Floor Between 10th and 11th Avenues Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan Cell phone for more info: 917653-1547 Important do NOT the use elevator walk up to 2nd floor and ring buzzer.

Seattle Clown Classes with Arne Zaslove

Arne Zaslove is teaching a class on clowning and physical theater in Seattle on 7 consecutive Mondays starting July 7. Classes will be held from 7 pm- 8:30 pm. Classes will be held at [SANCA] The School for Acrobatics and New Circus Arts – 674 S. Orcas, Seattle. The class is a very reasonable $133. Arne Zaslove is a director, teacher, mask specialist and physical theater consultant. As a Fulbright scholar, Arne was the first American to study at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris. There he absorbed a deep understanding of masks and of physical theater. He later apprenticed with commedia dell' arte master Carlo Mazzone-Clementi (who went on to found the Dell' Arte School of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake). Arne's method of training actors was synthesized through years as Artistic Director of the National Theatre School in Canada, co-founder of the University of Washington PATP program, and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia. His approach focuses on freeing the individual's body and imagination through a carefully devised sequence of physical exercises, mask work and improvisation. His students have gone on to varied and successful careers, from the circus to Stratford and Hollywood. Arne has directed and taught in many regional theaters and universities across the U.S. and Canada. During his 20-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Bathhouse Theatre in Seattle, his updated Shakespeare productions and 17 versions of The Big Broadcast (a tribute to the golden age of radio) were especially popular with audiences for their sensitive interpretations and inventive flair. Arne has also worked extensively with David Shiner, and directed the cabaret/theatre/dinner show Pomp, Duck, and Circumstance, which has been featured in Berlin, Seattle, and San Francisco. To find out more about the class, contact Tara Jensen at SANCA 206-652-4433 or visit the website listed below: http://www.sancaseattle.org To find out more about Arne Zaslove, follow the link below: http://www.zaslove.com

July Class in DC-- Body-Motion-Gesture

center for movement theatre actor preparation of the body the imagination and the art of collaboration www.thisisthecenter.com 202 462-5810 BODY · MOTION · GESTURE Taught by Dody DiSanto JULY 1 – 29 Tuesday nights 7 - 10pm 5 Weeks Tuition - $250 Class location: The Center 4321 Wisconsin Ave, NW METRO: redline Tenleytown This class will work from the roots of classical pantomime and progress to a fast-paced style of gestural language that develops both micro and macro image building. They will also investigate spatial dynamics through the use of a reduced playing area. Strong ensemble training. Dody DiSanto TRAINING: Diploma, teaching certificate, Laboratoire Etude de Movement from Ecole Jacques Lecoq, where she received a private pedagogic apprenticeship; Etienne Decroux: corporal mime; Ecole Nationale du Cirque: wire, juggling, acrobatics, tap under the direction of Annie Fratellini; George Washington University: Fine Arts, Dance; Corcoran College of Art and Design. Nationally Certified for Massage Therapy and Bodywork. TEACHING: Faculty at The Academy for Classical Acting for The Shakespeare Theatre at The George Washington University, The Yale School of Drama, The Catholic University of America and at The Center for Movement Theatre in Washington DC; Corcoran College of Art and Design: Dynamic Studies in Space, Gesture and Structure; Theatre of Creation Festival: assistant to Jacques Lecoq; Ringling Clown College and many years of residencies, workshops and coaching in various settings from academia to the curb of life. PERFORMANCE: Off-Broadway at LaMaMa E.T.C., Lincoln Center Serious Fun Festival, Theatre for the New City, the Avignon Festival and for television and film. Founder and artistic director of Membrane Theatre Ensemble, and a member of several ensembles, including Chantier Theatre, Present Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre and Barking Rooster Theatre. Dody also created, owned and managed internationally acclaimed music venue, Nightclub 9:30 in Washington DC from 1980-87. INFORMATION – REGISTRATION – WWW.ThisIsTheCenter.com

Didier Danthois

Didier Danthois is a clown and clown teacher based in London, England. Didier first trained in Clowning and Circus skills 24 years ago at the Fratellini Circus School(Paris). He studied Expressionist Dance, Clowning, and then, Indian Raga singing with an Indian master. He is the founder of the Fool at Heart School of Sacred Clowning and teaches, performs, & directs internationally. The school offers Mime Clown & Musical Clown trainings with a focus on bringing out the healing potential of the fool and the clown for today’s world. Didier is also the spiritual director of ClownCare & Co., an organisation bringing Sacred Clowning into healthcare. Didier describes Sacred Clowning as follows: The clown is allowing himself to be vulnerable, to become truly naked to the present, to become empty. Then openness, an unstained perception can manifest, a veil is lifted to the realm of innocence and wonder. A sense of gratitude and a reverence for all things and all people emerge. Love and compassion fill the heart, carrying him, he feels held, as by an infinitively loving mother, holding her child. In that sacred space, everything is alive, and becomes a source of creativity. A dull face in the audience, a balloon exploding, a light-shadow on the floor, dust flying in the air, a bald head shining…Everything around him starts to tell a story, taking him on a journey into the unknown... A forgotten microphone stand takes over the stage. He feels left out, laughter in the audience calls him, he waves his hand, the stand is now looking at him severe and grave, and he shrinks under its power… A story unfolds, where every object speaks, where everybody contributes, where there is an invisible link between all things and all people. Enchanted, he becomes an instrument being played, in service of the unseen. This is Magic. This is Sacred Art. This is the Sacred Clown. Didier has been inspired by the teachings of the Buddha for the last thirteen years. He works towards creating an art which celebrates the beauty of authenticity, compassion & the interdependence of all things and all people. His dedication is to encourage a greater understanding of the Wisdom of the Child. His present work explores the field of emotional and spiritual resonance through the Fool at Heart in mime - dance - music & play, and also through Indian Raga singing, for both adults & children. To find out more about Didier's work, including workshops with him. visit his website listed below: http://www.sacred-clown-as-healer.co.uk

Authentic Dynamics Workshop: Momentum & Change (NY)

Authentic Dynamics: momentum and change for actors and clowns Join Under the Table's Matt Chapman on Saturday, July 5 in Brooklyn for a unique physical investigation of the dynamics of the performer This world works on certain undeniable dynamics. To perform with authenticity, the actor must have the ability to identify and navigate them. In this workshop, a few fundamentals of the stage will be explored, including johakyu ( beginning/middle/end, or how things grow, break, and resolve), minimum-to-maximum, evolution, and the rhythms of comedy. W This workshop is appropriate for actors, clowns, and directors of all levels. Learn to see human action and comedy onstage more clearly. Dress to move and bring water. When: Saturday, July 5, 2008. 1-6:30 pm Where: Triskelion Arts: 118 N. 11th St, 3rd Floor. (L to Bedford, Williamsburg, Brooklyn) Cost: $75 (Limited scholarships are available) To register, reply by email. Payment holds your slot. us@underthetabletheatre.org Note: Class size is limited. If it gets filled up, they'll add a repeat section on Sunday the 6th, so if you're interested in that, let Matt know quickly. __________________________________________________________ Matt Chapman is a performer, director, and teacher of physical theatre and clown. He is Artistic Director of Brooklyn's Under the Table, a physical theatre ensemble. He also tours as an actor with Dell'Arte International (California). In the US, Matt has taught Clown and Improvisation as adjunct faculty at Marymount Manhattan College and Manhattanville College in New York, and has taught workshops at New York University, Vassar College, Sarah Lawrence College, Towson University, Luther College, the University of Iowa, the University of North Dakota, the New York Fringe Festival, and the Carolinian Shakespeare Festival, as well as working in public schools and with the mentally ill in New York care facilities. He has served as an assistant to Ronlin Foreman, Clown master and Director of Pedagogy at Dell'Arte International. Matt teaches abroad as well; his workshops in the last year have included South Africa, Denmark, the Netherlands, and England. This past winter and spring, Matt directed "Circus Life," a contemporary circus work about HIV/AIDS in Durban, South Africa, toured the US teaching workshops for Dell'Arte International through the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and taught Clown workshops in Denmark with the other members of Under the Table while on tour there. He attended the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas. To find out more about Matt's work, please visit the websites listed below: http://www.underthetabletheatre.org http://www.clownnosefactory.com

Daniel Stein workshop July 21-Aug 7 Berkeley, CA

I took this workshop 10 years ago at Dell'arte and it was fantastic then-- I'm sure it's gotten even better now. More information at http://www.berkeleyrep.org/school/adult_index.asp ==================================== generating new material: heart of a poet / mind of an actor / body of a gymnast Instructor: Daniel Stein Give your imagination a whack on the side of the head! Discover concrete ways to get beyond "STUCK" when you're creating new work. Practice ways to think, see and create without the auto-critique shutting you down. This is a hands-on course in generating new material dealing with the emotions of shape, the excitement of rhythms (tempo, architectural, dynamic) and finding ideas from untapped and unconventional sources. Otherwise put: it's training in juggling the juxtaposition of the physical world on stage and the metaphysical world that the audience will eventually take home with them. You, the artist, will go back to your studio with concrete ideas and a running start at building your next project. This work is great for performers, directors, teachers and anyone else looking for freedom and empowerment in their own creativity. Daniel Stein studied in the Professional Actors Training Program at Carnegie Mellon University, where he worked with Jewel Walker. He then studied with Etienne Decroux in Paris, becoming M. Decroux's translator, and began his professional career as an actor with the French National Theatre—a relationship which lasted 20 years. His solo performances have toured in more than 30 countries, and have been seen in the US in venues such as the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. He has taught master classes throughout the world at institutions such as Juilliard School and The Institute of Dramatic Arts, Tokyo. Daniel has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and is a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow. Daniel served for five years as Dean of Students and another five years as School Director, of The Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre. The fall of '08 has him slated to direct in Philadelphia and act in Clown Show for Bruno Shultz in Israel and Germany. Books published that talk about his work: Le Theatre du Geste by Jacques Lecoq, Bordas–Paris Modern and Post Modern Mime by Thomas Leabhart, Modern Dramatists The Origins and Development of the Art of Mime by Annette Lust, Scarecrow Press Monday–Thursday, 7–10PM • 7/21–8/7 • $500

6 week acting intensive in LA

6 week Acting Intensive YOU ARE YOU Laboratory Theater Work for the foundations of the actor's practice and the devising of performance Based on Eastern European and Russian Traditions Monday Evenings May 19 – June 23 7 - 10pm $240 limited scholarships available This Workshop will approach the necessities of creating a foundational actor's practice and its application to monolog and scene work through the systematic isolation, coordination and development of the psychic, physical and vocal aspects of the performer's body thus allowing deeper expression and revelation of the self in performance. [via]Corpora Studio 6575 Santa Monica Blvd Hollywood, CA 90038 Contact: bryan@viacorpora.com 213.249.1690 Necessities: Clothes to move in Text (chosen by participant and instructor) You may want: An extra shirt A long sleeve shirt/sweatshirt (during breaks) A notebook and pen (time for hunkering) Water/snack BRYAN BROWN has studied physical theater extensively in New York City, Europe, and Los Angeles. He has recently been invited to South Korea as Artist-in-Residence at Hooyang Performing Arts Centre. Previously, his last reconnaissance was 6 weeks in Wroclaw, Poland intensely working with instructors gathered by the Grotowski Institute as well as a profound worksession with Song of the Goat (teatr Piesn Kozla). For almost a decade, Bryan has researched with various physical theater investigators including Stephen Wangh and Raina von Waldenburg, Shinichi Iova-Koga, Mary Overlie and other Viewpoints practitioners, the members of Odin Teatret, Commedia dell'Arte instructors, Contact Dance originators, as well as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. The deepest application has been the process of creating, leading and learning with various experimental ensembles culminating in the work with Artel.

Clown school in Norway June 24-July 20, 2008

International clown teacher Giovanni Fusetti will lead a class in Theatre Clowning in Kristiansand, Norway this summer from June 24-July 20. The class is limited to 14 students, and there are still a couple of places available. The class promises to be highly international-- thus far they have received applications from Austria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Norway, South Africa, UK, and USA. The four week program will consist of the following: First Week: THE CLOWN “STATE”-- Play, action/reaction and fun. From the Neutral Mask to the Red Nose. Second Week: THE PLAY (le jeu)-- Playing with space, objects, hierarchy. Clown numbers and le bide (fiasco). Third Week: THE SKILLS -- The actor’s skills in the service of the clown, The writing of a Clown Number. Fourth Week: THE SHOW-- Devising a clown variety show, & public presentation of the show. (a much more comprehensive listing is available on the website listed below) Tuition is 950 euros, but reduction of tuition is offered to students traveling from North America (-150 €), South America, Asia and Africa: (-200 €), and Oceania (-250€) The tuition does not include accomodation. However, the organization will provide different options of affordable acccomodation. Rosegarden Theaterhouse also will provide the use of a communal kitchen space. The official language of the workshop is English. A basic understanding is required. For practical and administrative information please contact AUDUN WEA ROSEGARDEN THEATERHOUSE post@rosegardenteaterhus.no Telephone: +47 91648649 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 09:00 am- 4:00 pm norwegian time (GMT+1) For further pedagogic information and applications please contact: Giovanni Fusetti e-mail: giovanni.fusetti@tiscali.it Telephone: (+39) 349 7130121 Or visit Giovanni's website and click on workshops

Australia: The Deadly Serious Training Project

Subject: Teachers Training/NICA/ The Deadly Serious Training Project Greetings all, We would like to get the word out to as many people as Greetings all, We would like to get the word out to as many peoplepossible, so apologies if you have already received this email. If there is a group, community or person you think might be interested in our upcoming project, please forward this email on. NICA is currently Seeking Expressions of Interest from potential participants for: The Deadly Serious Training Project: Advance - Enhance. After many wonderful discussions (and feedback) with the indigenous youth participants at the recent ACAPTA conference (and a number of years being partners in projects in various places around Australia), NICA is responding with a 2008 training project, 'Deadly Serious'. This one week project will train young leaders within the indigenous youth circus community, (16 yrs +) and will take place over a week in the National Institute of Circus Arts training space (in Melbourne), towards the latter part of the year. Participants will need to fund their accommodation, airfares and meals. Objectives: To provide an opportunity for leaders within the indigenous youth circus community to advance their circus and teaching skills To raise the profile of Indigenous Youth Circus companies and projects To enable indigenous youth leaders to make connections with an educational institute and in particular with professional circus trainers and tertiary circus students To provide participants with the opportunity to create networks, collaborations and lasting partnerships Deadly Serious: Advance- Enhance, will offer young, aspiring, indigenous circus performers the opportunity to: Follow their passion Dive headlong into a week of 'deadly serious' training Enhance and advance current skills Confirm previous achievements and extend them through new challenges Create productive networks Work with the dedicated and experienced multinational community of trainers at NICA Please contact Andrea Ousley (aousley@swin.edu.au) or Matt Wilson (mawilson@swin.edu.au) by 23/05/08 to express your interest in this project. Regards NICA Social Circus Team --------------------

Clown Therapy Workshop SF (May 26-29)

Clown Therapy Workshop - Weekend Intensive with Paoli Lacy May 24, 25, & 26 Saturday 2-6, Sunday 10-6, and Monday 10-1 Taught by Paoli Lacy, Godmother of Clown Therapy, this workshop will be an experiential, hands-on 2 1/2 day intensive. It will include practical kinesthetic learning of clown therapy techniques along with discussion of the theory and rationales for their use. A holistic approach to meeting psychological and physical challenges, Clown Therapy has been successful with health issues where mind, body, and a sense of humor need to converge. Clown Therapy is noted for serving special needs children at the crossroads of physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychotherapy, and creative arts, with Lucille Ball directing traffic. All participants will receive a copy of the Clown Therapy Handbook for future reference. Cost: $170.00 Discounts for AYCO members, Clown Conservatory and Dell ‘Arte graduates Classes held at the Circus Center San Francisco 755 Frederick Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 Phone: (415) 759-8123 Email: info@circuscenter.org WEBSITE: http://www.circuscenter.org Photo of Paoli Lacy from Rebecca Longworth's Flickr Page Permission to use photograph from Creative Commons License.

NY Clown Training Opportunities

Training New York Downtown Clown Playground Conditioning for the Physical Performer with Keith Nelson of Bindlestiff Family Circus May 5th 9-10 pm. Come learn excercises that will keep you in top shape. More info: http://www.newyorkdowntownclown.com/workshops.htm New York Downtown Clown Slapstick Dojo - Every Wed- Info http://www.newyorkdowntownclown.com/workshops.htm Maestro Antonio Fava Commedia workshop- April 26th, 2008 Register now http://fava.stolenchair.org Columbus Program for more info or to sign up email columbus_program@hotmail.com Jef Johnson's Clown Lab For info visit: www.nyclown.com Juggling Class with Flying Karamazov Brother Roderick Kimball every Tuesday night. For info, visit http://www.jugglingclasses.com

Workshop with Ronlin Foreman 3/2 in Chicago

On Sunday March 2, Master Clown Teacher at the Dell'arte School RonLin Foreman and Joe Krienke will teach a class entitled: The Powerful Presence: Effort, Risk Momentum, Joy. The 3 hour workshop, at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, will include work on the actor's presence, physical efforts, movement and improvisation. Ronlin was one of my teachers at Dell'arte. And while I certainly didn't agree with everything that he said (in fact, at one point he told me that "I misunderstood the nature of education."), I have to say that he is an amazing clown, and for certain people, can be an excellent teacher. Years later, I feel like I am incorporating some of the things in my work that I didn't understand at the time (and that RonLin didn't help me understand at the time, either-- which made it a frustrating experience then) I highly recommend studying with him. One of the pieces that I continue to use when thinking or teaching now: The clown must truly fail in order to succeed. Not pretend to fail. Not fail at something with low stakes. The clown must be at the point of failing, and at that moment, the audience will ALLOW the clown to succeed. This point of view is obviously more useful in the theatre than in the circus, where you need to get on, do your funny, and leave. But it still applies. This is the bio from Ronlin's classes at the Clown Festival two years ago: A provocative teacher and director, Ronlin Foreman is Director of Pedagogical Research and Master Clown Teacher at the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre in California. Zany and poignant, Foreman's uniquely confrontational and poetic brand of physical theatre has been featured at major international Movement, Theatre and Clown festivals in Mexico, Spain, Canada and the U.S. Foreman's hallmarks are his character (drawn from the fool, the clown, and the grotesque) and his ability to play profoundly with comedy, and irreverently with the profound, and outrageously with an audience. The workshop at Steppenwolf will go from 10am-1pm. From 2pm-6pm, auditions will be offered for admission to the Dell'arte School of Physical Theatre. Space is limited to 35 people. Participation fee of $100 required at time of reservation. Space preference and fee waivers are available to serious program applicants. To register, email Louise at louise@dellarte.com WHEN & WHERE Steppenwolf Theatre's Garage Space 1650 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL. (south side of the parking lot) Workshop: 10am to 1pm Auditions: 2pm to 6pm To find out more about Dell'arte, visit their website listed below: www.dellarte.com

Circus Juventas

Circus Juventas is a performing arts youth circus school located in St. Paul, Minnesota and serving the Twin Cities metro area. They offer youth circus arts training and performance opportunities for children and youth ages 3 to 21 in a safe and noncompetitive environment. Circus Juventas was founded in 1994 by former circus performers Dan and Betty Butler. Originally known as Circus of the Star, it began as an after-school program in a neighborhood recreation center. The initial offerings were limited and could accommodate only 30 students. From the start, classes were filled to capacity. Realizing that the need for this kind of education was great, Dan and Betty founded a non-profit, got a board of directors, and started raising money. By the time they opened their doors in 2001 in a long term lease from the city of St. Paul, they had raised over 2.1 million dollars and created a 21,000 square foot Big Top to work in Since that time, their enrollment has doubled, then doubled again. Juventas was the Roman goddess of youth who had the mythical power of rejuvenation, and because of Circus Jeventas, hundreds of thousands of delighted spectators have experienced the mystique and rejuvenating powers of the circus arts. To find out more about Circus Juventas, visit their website listed below: http://www.circusjuventas.org/

Clown School of San Francisco

The Clown School of San Francisco is a character based school that combines small classes with intensive personal work to create clown characters and routines. The focus is on creating work that is personal to the actor. The work is primarily theatrical and exploratory in nature-- not particularly of the circus. The instructor, Christina Lewis Clinton, has been teaching workshops in clown character development and improvisation for fifteen years. Christina started clowning in Nicaragua when she traveled there with a Women's Circus. She has studied and performed clowning in Europe, Mexico and the United States. She received her Master's in Drama Therapy in San Francisco. Christina and I studied together with Czech master clown Ctibor Turba. They are currently in the midst of a 20 week session that started January 20 and will finish in May with a public show. They will also have an intensive two day workshop in June. To find out more about their work, visit their website listed below: http://www.clownschoolsf.org/

Dell'arte Workshop in LA 2/9/08

In conjunction with the LA tour of The Golden State, the Dell'Arte Company is offering a one-day workshop at 24th Street Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 9. Where: 24th Street Theatre When: Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008, 2:00-6:00pm Cost: $100 This four-hour workshop will be an exploration of the physical comedy techniques and ensemble-based exercises at the core of Dell'Arte's work. Physical theatre explores how proven notions of craft interact with an individual's physical expressive possibilities. From commedia and vaudeville to contemporary theatrical circus, Dell'Arte training is the source of the work necessary to become an actor/creator. Capacity: 25 students Come dressed to move and ready to play. Taught by Joan Schirle, School Director of the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre You can purchase your "ticket" to the workshop at the website listed below (more info about Dell'arte and their show (which the SF Bay Guardian called "...a glittering gem of a farce") is also listed below. WORKSHOP: MORE INFO/PURCHASE THE GOLDEN STATE: MORE INFO/PURCHASE TICKETS ABOUT DELLARTE: http://www.dellarte.com

Circus Action International

Inspired by the success of Cirque du Soleil’s “Cirque du Monde”, Ethiopia’s “Circus of Hope” and Cambodia’s Phare Ponleu Selpak, Canadian director Jerry Snell has founded another institution for Youth at Risk using Circus and Performing Arts as a tool for helping migrant and street children, working children, freed bonded labor children, trafficked and victims of slave labor in Asia and Africa. In collaboration with co founder James Tanabe, they have begun to set up CIRCUS ACTION INTERNATIONAL which is currently a network of teachers, programs, companies using performing arts and circus as an educational tool or simply a way to build confidence and resolve feelings of isolation and abandon in youth cornered by complex problems such as human trafficking, war, AIDS/HIV, poverty and political corruption. The first conference of Circus Action International will be hosted by Cambodian Arts & Circus Company Phare Ponleu Selpak in Cambodia at their Circus Festival 3 to 6 of April, 2008 in Battambang. If you are interested in helping to organize communications (they currently need an english to french translator) or interested in becoming a teacher in the projects in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and India, please contact Jerry Snell. The teaching projects are set to begin in July 2008. Send him your background and availability for the future, especially if you already have plans to come to Asia. For more information about Jerry Snell or Circus Action International, visit his website http://www.jerrysnell.com or email info@jerrysnell.com For more information about Phare Ponleu Selpak, visit their website http://www.phareps.org It's in French, but there's an English translation.

Emotion Masks

Cleaning up old papers, found this photo of masks. We used these in Arne Zaslove's commedia class at Dell'arte in the summer of 1995. Arne, Carlo Mazzone-Clemente, and Joan Schirle team taught the class. Not sure who made the masks, but they are stunning, easy to use, and oh so much fun. Six emotions, can you guess them?

School of Physical Theatre, London England

The School of Physical Theatre is a full-time professional school based in London, UK, devoted to the training of physical theatre artists - writers, directors, and actors. The School offers a focused program - a voyage from the complex everyday world to its created reflection in the theatrical space. The School was founded in 1978 in Toronto, Canada under the guidance of director and principal instructor, Ron East. It was originally constituted as a summer program, associated with Mr. East’s theatre production company. The curriculum engendered such an enthusiastic response that in 1979 the first full-time programme was instituted. By 1984 the School was sufficiently established to become a separate organisation, and has run successfully ever since. In 1999 the school was moved to London England. The founder and principal instructor Ron East has over 20 years of experience as an actor, director, producer, and performer. He has written 18 original plays, and worked as a television series director, taught at many colleges, universities, and conservatories, and performed at the Stratford Festival, where he was awarded the Tyrone Guthrie award for his work. He is also the author of Moving Images (currently out of stock at Amazon) During its history the school graduated over 600 actors, dancers, writers, choreographers, directors, puppeteers and producers. Over 80% of their graduates make their living in whole or in part in the performing arts. Students have come from all over the world to study. The school offers an intensive one year program, a summer intensive, a post-graduate program for graduates (including a pedagogical internship), and 3 weekend classes open to the public. Studies are based on the work of Lecoq (of whom Mr. East was a student) and include movement analysis, acrobatics, vocal technique, juggling, stage combat, improvisation, maskwork, commedia'dell'arte, clown, and bouffon. Students are expected to create and perform weekly in-house, and there are 3 public presentations of the work during the year. To find out more about the school, visit their website listed below: http://www.physicaltheatre.com

Jean Peysson: Boxeur Bleu: Workshops in Mexico March 8-15, 2008

Jean Peysson is a French clown, writer, and theatre creator who lives in Lyon. Jean has written over 30 plays, numerous songs, two volumes of poetry and is currently working on a trilogy as a novelist. When he works as a clown, he works under the name Lulu. He is also the founder and director of Boxeur Bleu Theatre, which has performed at a number of international festivals, including Okinawa, Shanghai, and others. They teach clowning, put on shows, and create theatre. Their clown show Fanfine & Lulu has received international acclaim. Jean will be teaching a class in San Miguel of Allende, Mexico, March 8-15, 2008. The workshop is being held privately, under the auspices of a group of artists who live in San Miguel, two French people Daniel Sirdey and Florence Dengreville, and an LA Director David Hunter. The class will be about clown and also about theatre-- creating a clown character, and then using your personal life to create the story of the show. At the end of the workshop there will be a performance To find out more about the workshop or Boxeur Bleu & Jean Peyyson, visit the websites listed below. All of the websites are only in French, so you might have a problem if you don't speak French. To the best of my knowledge, the class will be in French, with some English translation available, but the website is not clear on this point. UPDATE: There are two portions to the workshop-- clown & theatre. The clown aspect will be taught in French, English, and Spanish if required. The theatre aspect will be working with French texts in French. If you are having problems understanding either of the websites, I suggest trying to translate it via this webpage www.babelfish.altavista.com It's not perfect, but it will get you 80% of what you need to know. The class costs $450 Canadian dollars, and a deposit must be paid via Paypal. The class is limited to 15 students. WORKSHOP IN MEXICO WEBSITE: www.ateliertheatre.san-miguel-allende.com BOXEUR BLEU WEBSITE: http://boxeur.bleu.theatre.free.fr/ You can also email Florence vipassana9@gmail.comif you have any questions.

CIRCA: Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army

CIRCA (The Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army) is a very loosely organized group that creates protests, actions, events, etc, that are political (and clowny) in nature. They protest at events such as the G8 Summit, Presidential visits, and other events that they think might make a difference. Their aim is to take the ideas and actions of the clown out of the circus ring, birthday party, and stage, and bring them to the street as a method of protest. Or as they say as part of their manifesto: "CIRCA aims to make clowning dangerous again, to bring it back to the street, restore its disobedience and give it back the social function it once had: its ability to disrupt, critique and heal society. Since the beginning of time tricksters (the mythological origin or all clowns) have embraced life's paradoxes, creating coherence through confusion - adding disorder to the world in order to expose its lies and speak the truth." They hold training events for non-clowns to learn their techniques (both clown techniques and civil disobedience techniques), and offer advice to groups looking to form. The groups (called gaggles) are autonomous, and do their own actions and events. CIRCA provides some basic ideas about things to do at a protest, but each group is responsible for their own work. The group seems to be mostly European based, with many of the actions tha