After traveling the world as a fire dancer with a French circus troupe, Kalu now teaches aerial dance from a tent in the center of Auroville.
Kalou’s circus classes are adventurous. But finding his school is an adventure in itself. The Elusiol Circus, started by Kalou in 2012, is a circus school set in the lush green forests of Auroville. Google Maps is not your ally here. And after a point, even beefy, four-wheeled vehicles protest as the wooden lanes narrow, until they can only be driven on foot. And therein lies the attraction.
A 10 meter high dome is visible from the canopy of trees. Inside the 12-column school, students ages five and older stretch before what looks like malleable metal sculptures. Some touch their noses with their knees, while others drape themselves in thick purple clothes and dangle like a delicate waterfall.
Grace, balance, control and at the center of it all, lively abs. Each session is of approximately two hours. Before the pandemic hit, schools in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai would visit the center to experience the fundamentals of circus. During the pandemic, Kalu says she noticed more people taking an interest in her body and wanting to learn some skills from it. But these are experiences that literally cannot be taken for granted, he believes.
The Circus School teaches acro yoga, juggling, hula hoop, acrobatics and aerial work such as trapeze and tight walking. “These actions all help to develop the muscles and the therapist learns to use these muscles. The body becomes flexible, flexible and the body’s stamina and ability to adapt is tested,” explains Kalu Jo 1998 I had moved from France to Auroville.
After working in theater for a few years in Paris, Kalu found himself attracted to adrenaline-pumping acts such as fire dancing. At the age of 25, she joined a professional circus company and traveled the world dancing fire, a feat she accomplished in 15 years. “I started doing aerial acrobatics at the age of 46. I’m 55 now,” she smiles, lifting up mid-air with the support of a cloth, making a smooth split.
In his early years in India, he taught fire performance. “I have developed an artwork that combines dance, martial arts and acrobatics. Inspired by Chambers And an ancient sign of Tibetan culture, it is a purification ritual dance that celebrates life,” she adds.
The display of these artworks filled Kalu with an inexplicable feeling, an amalgamation of joy, harmony, concentration, love and transformation. She knew that this was what she wanted to share with the world. “That’s why I started my circus school: to help people of any age explore and discover all the possibilities of understanding themselves and their bodies on a deeper level,” smiles Kalou.
For details write to eluciolecircus@gmail.com
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