Here goes..... Both myself and Bafana are new to the concept of blogging which has always seemed for the technologically gifted but given our impending travels and distant friends and family, we thought we should hop on the blogging train and make good use of it :) We just finished performing in a production of Sleeping Beauty with the Hudson Guild Community Center. The show had a cast of 35, with an amazing generational gap, spanning 70 years, our youngest being 6 years old :) The whole experience really got me thinking about the meaning and importance of the word community and after the past few months working with Hudson Guild, I think I have a clearer understanding.
In todays society, community almost seems like an old-fashioned concept; our culture seems to promote more me and less we. We seem to have forgotten our interconnectedness, not just as human beings but with life's itself. "I am because we are" is the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which recognises the interdependance and shared humanity between humans and nature. In small little projects like this one, it is wonderful to feel an essence of this ancient philosophy.
Throughout Sleeping Beauty, an integral theme, which was stressed from the beginning of the rehearsal process was, we all play an equal part to make up the whole, the whole being the success of the production. Every role from our seven dwarves to the Prince to the citizens, was expected to be taken with integrity and pride. It was this feeling of belonging to something greater than ourselves that united us and made it happen! Let me tell you, the majority of our 13 children were not dance trained, and for many of them it was their first time being part of a theatrical production, so it took alot of work before they began to understand what it takes to work together as a team, with respect for both themselves and others.
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| Bafana, the Prince and the hunters |
In projects like this, the smallest accomplishments can be the catalyst for a complete breakthrough, like one of our seven dwarves who was promoted to Cinderella and transformed before everyone's eyes. (Note..We skipped fairy tales more than once in this production) I feel confident and inspired, there is a budding performer to be in that girl, just like many of the other children who left with a .....
The other thing that amazed me was the diversity in people who partook in the show. Over time, personalities began to emerge and by the time we got to production week, there was a real sense of genuine positive interaction and love between everyone. This is not only hopeful but it's real, 35 people from different countries and cultures can come together and not only interact positively, but unite to create something amazing! The UN could learn something from the Arts, to move us forwards into transforming our global relations into the world's highest potential.
No matter how much performing in a company awakens that spark in me, collaborating with community always awakens something a little deeper for me, that sharing of self, commitment, creating space to self express, collaborate, communicate, create. The beauty of community is we can find it almost anywhere, as community is a mindset that we are stronger than I, and you can carry that with you everywhere.
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