Update of sponsors and partners of the Firebird

Even if the project ´s budget is not 100% secured yet, we would like to recall and praise those companies, institutions and foundations that have joined the FIREBIRD project sofar, thereby proving their Corporate Social Responsibility beyond their economic concern.

OUR SPONSORS:

VODAFONE
E.ON GAZ ROMANIA
ABB
PETER GLÄSEL-STIFTUNG
PRIVILEG CATERING
BMW
PLUS TENGELMANN ROMANIA
DEUTSCHE BANK
SIEMENS
UNICEF
KAUFLAND
EVOBUS
CARPATCEMENT
HOTEL ATHÉNÉE PALACE HILTON
DOINA LEVINTZA
STALFORT RECHTSANWÄLTE
DEUTSCHER WIRTSCHAFTSKLUB SIEBENBÜRGEN

OUR PARTNERS:

Goethe Institut
Artexim "GEORGE ENESCU"
Fundatia Vodafone
Fundatia Principesa Margareta a Romaniei
Colegiul I.L.Caragiale Bucuresti
Fundatia Concordia
Scoala nr. 114 Principesa Margareta Bucuresti
Asociatia Ateliere Protejate Bucuresti
Scoala pentru deficienti de auz nr 2 Sfanta Maria Bucuresti
Centrul de plasament Guliver Sibiu

We are looking forward to complete this list until project begin on August 1st.

It is still time to join us....late comers most welcome!

Our deep thanks also to all individual supporters of the project, friends and relatives listed on the sidebar whose generous contributions have a very high value in our eyes as tokens of friendship and trust in our enterprise.

Ups and Downs make us frown.........

Promises of support by several companies in the past few months had made us hope that the fundraising part of the project would soon be completed, allowing us to concentrate on the practical organisation of the project:
Deutsche Bank, which had sponsorized the filming of Maldoom´s Sacre du Printemps "Rhythm is it!"in 2004, is stepping in again.
BMW has generously agreed to provide the transportation of the youngsters throughout the project to and from the rehearsal places, including for the trip in the province. Evobus also promised to provide two busses for the "Tournée"in Brasov and Sibiu.
Centrul Medical Unirea, in the person of its Director, Dr Wargha Enayati, will ensure the necessary medical support troughout the project.

Unfortunately, the Romanian media company which had promised to take care of the advertizing part let us down due to the economic situation and we have good reasons to fear that one or two other companies might withdraw their promises of support for the same reason.

But having gathered about 80 % of the minimum costs of the project up to this day, we do not despair and keep hoping that some miracle will happen. Indeed, the kids´list stands and they are already so excited about the idea that we cannot possibly let them down.

Together we are strong!

Klaus Gruber

Klaus Gruber and Mihaela Beresoaie will coordinate the team of educators and supervise the participants from Brasov, Sibiu and Saarbrücken (Germany) in the Youth hostel which the Mayor of Sector two is generously putting at our disposition for the whole duration of the project.

Here is a first greeting from Klaus to the young artists which you all are:
"Hey guys,
I am Klaus and I caught the Firebird virus from my aunt Monique. She asked me to come and stay with you at the centre hosting us during the project. I will be happy to give my support to everybody in everything and help wherever help is needed…

That’s exactly my daily bread-and-butter: having three children myself, I am used to assist young guys to focus on and achieve their personal goals.

As soccer coach of my youngest sons’ team, I try to do the same thing beyond the “family boundaries”…

With a team of parents we have been trying for a couple of years now to support the school teachers in matters of organization and education. May be the right training to be YOUR “supporter” this time?

I first learned teamwork playing basketball on a high level for years. During my studies in philosophy, political sciences and economics, I was then taught to do reasonable things in a reasonable way - and to ask for and expect reasonable things from others…

I am very curious to see how the entire Firebird-project will be! But even without knowing you, I have no doubt that it will be a success. A lot of work, for sure, but also a lot of fun for all of us.

So, off we go! I’m all set and ready for takeoff. From August 1st onwards, I will be in Bucharest for the entire project and support each and all of you as much as I possibly can. See you soon!"

Tedy Necula to film the project

Tedy Necula

I first met Tedy in 2004 when I attended the premiere of "Noro", a film where he had the main role - not an easy one since it was quite autobiographic. At the time when the film was produced he was only 12 years old.
A few weeks ago, while in Bucharest, I incidentally bumped into an interview in a magazine: a handsome young man with his big black eyes looking straight at you, Tedy is now studying Film production. I immediately thought I had to meet him again. A few hours later, I knew he was THE person we were looking for to produce the "making of" of the Firebird.
You don´t know him yet? Then, it´s time you did so by having a look at his webpage.

Like Oana Rotariu he is an example of the competence and enthusiasm of many promising Romanian youngsters who deserve attention and support. Like Oana, he is only 19 but has already an impressive curriculum vitae and an amazing maturity.
But since he already had his own mind with 12, the best thing is to let him speak for himself:

"My name is Tedy Necula. I am a Romanian independent film producer. I caught the virus at the age of eleven when I was given the opportunity to play in "Noro", a film realized by producer Radu Gabrea. Later on, I started making short films and constituted a team which developed rapidly.

I am happy that I got to know Monique Gruber and will be able to make my own contribution to this marvellous project by doing what I know how to do, that is filming!
This means, I´ll be in charge of filming this year´s project. I feel inspired by this fairy tale and extremely enthusiastic about the message which the project contains. Both the tale and the project are powerful subjects for a film.

Through the films which will be presenting the project as well as some extra features, I intend to illustrate the objective pursued by its initiators. Our films will be about human values and about our personal, social and cultural development through creativity and teamwork.

Each and every single one of us has in himself a dancing Firebird that has the ability to liberate him from the burden of his frustrations, complexes, marginalisation or discrimination. We will be like a miniature illustration of the whole world.
Our films will be about people, about youngsters: diverse AND different, courageous, tall or small, shy or bold, easy going or bursting with energy, but ALL: EAGER TO LIVE.....
All of them are ARTISTS..... all of US are artists..... provided each of us discovers the "Firebird" inside him.

That´s why my creative team and myself we are happy to sustain and be part of this great adventure!

Firebird team is now all set

Royston Maldoom
The British choreographer Royston Maldoom has been the initiator and leader of numerous dance projects around the globe for the past 30 years.
The dance project "Le Sacre du Printemps" with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, in which 250 kids participated, gained popular attention through the movie „Rhythm is it!“ which received the German Lola Movie Award for best documentary film in 2005 and reached large audiences world-wide.
What fascinates Royston Maldoom is to work with people regardless of age, background or region of the world. He likes working with "unperfect bodies", giving every single participant in his projects the opportunity to discover himself, his passions and his abilities. He considers each of them as a potential artist. Besides, he is convinced that art can change lives and societies and help foster and improve mutual understanding through dance.


Josef Eder
The Munich choreographer and actor, Josef Eder, founder of Dance Theater Zwiefach in 1994, worked in the education of dancers, actors, musicians, teachers, and amateurs for 18 years. He developed a concept which he named "body as voice".
After meeting Royston Maldoom in 2005, he began working as his assistant and co-choreographer in Community dance projects.
He is fascinated by the possiblities which dance and movement can offer. His main objective is to open people from all ages and conditions to dance and let them express their emotions in a creative and unique movement.

Martha Hincapié

[Photo]Martha Hincapié
Choreographin, Tänzerin, Dozentin. Studierte Tanz in ihrer Heimat Kolumbien, in Argentinien und Kuba. Tanzstudium, Aufbaustudium Solotanz und Multimedia an der Folkwanghochschule Essen unter der Leitung von Pina Bausch. Tanzte am Wuppertaler Tanztheater, Stadttheater Münster, Bochumer Schauspielhaus, am Theater Aachen, sowie für diverse freie Produktionen.
Sie wurde mit ihren eigenen Stücken auf Festivals nach Berlin, Paris, Zagreb, Rom, Arnheim, Medellín, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Aachen, Essen und Wuppertal eingeladen. Gewinnerin verschiedener Preise und Stipendien.
Ihre letzte Arbeit als Coreographin „Autorretrato con Máscara“ entstand mit Unterstützung von der spanischen Stiftung Iberescena in Kolumbien, wurde mit dem Publikumspreis beim Festival 100° Berlin 2009 ausgezeichnet.
Nach verschiedenen pädagogischen Erfahrungen in Kolumbien begann sie 2008 als choreographische Assistentin für Community-Dance-Projekte in Deutschland zu arbeiten und ist im Programm „TanzZeit“ engagiert.
Martha Hincapié lebt und arbeitet zwischen Berlin und Bogotá.


Irina Roncea
Irina is one of the two Romanian pedagogues who will be assisting in the Firebird project. She is an enthusiastic, talented dance teacher acting in several Bucarest schools and institutions.
Last Autumn she attended a "Community dance" workshop in Vienna with Royston Maldoom and his team to get acquainted with the philosophy behind it. She is interested in developing the community concept by creating further projects throughout Romania in the coming years.

Oana Rotariu
Oana is a very young, successful dancer from Timisoara who has just graduated from high school. She took partin in - and won - numerous competitions in sportive dancing all along her school time.
Like Irina Roncea, she combines all the qualities which the project hopes to develop in its participants: discipline, punctuality, team spirit, sense of responsibility, ambition, communication.

We are convinced that the enthusiasm and the freshness of these two Romanian pedagogues will enable them to transmit their passion and their qualities to the kids. they will constitute an important link between the youngsters and the choreographers from abroad and will doubtless make a significant contribution to the whole project.



Pete Ayres
Pete Ayres has designed for Royston Maldoom for more than ten years, including for dance pieces with The London Symphony Orchestra at The Royal Albert Hall, The Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra for Luxembourg Capital City of Culture, with The Berlin Philhamonic Orchestra, and at Carnegie Hall in New York.
Pete has worked extensively in the field of Contemporary Dance, and in a variety of venues from African amphitheatres, Berlin bus depots, Croatian castles and metropolitan motorways to nationally important playhouses. He has been involved in several Community Dance projects often including hundreds of participants, ranging from street children of Peru and groups of mixed ability performers, to Senior Citizens in Germany and young women of immigrant families.


Alexandra Arnautu
Alexandra is the Firebird-project´s coordinator in Romania.
During her six years working for the Royal Family of Romania she coordinated various initiatives, from complex, high profile events such as The Diamond Wedding of Their Majesties King Michael and Queen Anne of Romania, to cultural and publishing projects, within the country and abroad.
People who have ever met Alexandra know that she can make magic happen. "If magic", the company she set up with two associates in 2008, is dedicated to supporting organizations and individuals in the achievement of their dreams. Alexandra´s enthusiasm and conviction for the „Firebird“ community dance project are boundless.
"If magic" will support the Association „Jungen Rumanen eine Chance!“ for the implementation of all three „Firebird“ performances: in Bucharest (Sept 5.), Brasov (Sept. 7.) and Sibiu (Sept. 9.).


Ada Lungu
Ada joined the Firebird project some time ago. It´s hard to say who, from Alexandra and her, is more enthusiastic about the project and its objective.

"I have always invited diversity into my life, from all points of view. I lived, studied and worked so far in six cities, three countries, two continents. My domains of expertise are corporate communication, journalism and project management. I worked for various organisations (World Trade Centre, The Romanian Broadcasting Society, The European Institute of Romania, The British Council) and I was a teaching assistant at the the University of Bucharest, before becoming the PR Coordinator of the Royal House of Romania. Serving the Royal Family has been a unique professional challenge and an inspiring experience.
It is so exciting for me to join the Firebird project team and embark on a journey that changes people’s lives. I strongly believe this initiative is most welcome for the Romanian society and I intend to use all my knowledge and dedication to ensure its success."

D-Day minus 100 soon: Time for short summing up

- Firebird team is now all set.
- Participants´list is in elaboration
- Sponsors´list is growing and with it our hope to make ends meet.
- Firebird´s performances in Brasov and Sibiu are taking shape.
- Logistics are now Nr. 1 on the agenda.
- Film producer: surprise! Surprise!

Volunteer Iris Lopatta is on board

Iris is one of the volunteers who will be taking part in the project, share the youngsters´ life and organize some activities beside the rehearsals for them- provided the kids still have some energy left after six hours of "focusing" and jumping around. But who knows, we might be surprised. Here she is:

 Iris Lopatta (Franco-German)

I started being involved in small socio-cultural projects through a circus project at High School. A participant at that time, I had the opportunity to learn different circus arts and especially to create and lead a group of youngsters from different backgrounds both on a local and on an international basis. In 2003 I spent a year in South Africa where I was integrated in the local community. During my stay there I assisted at an orphanage in Port Elizabeth on a voluntary basis. These various experiences reinforced my decision to actively engage myself in the socio-cultural domain.

After finishing High School I joined the European Voluntary Service programme (EVS) working at a circus school in the suburbs of Paris. At the Plus Petit Cirque du Monde, I tought children and youngsters between 3 and 17 years on a weekly basis. My main focus was acrobatics. Beside classes I helped organizing events and got involved in a project with young adults form the region. Part of the project was an intercultural exchange with three other social community circuses (from Ireland, Argentina and Peru) which took place in Peru in 2006.

Currently I am studying humanities and social sciences at Maastricht University College in the Netherlands.

Like headmaster, like school......

Beside the impediments inherent to their personal problems, one of the highest hurdles which youngsters from underprivileged backgrounds or with special needs have to overcome is the lack of acceptance from their peers and society altogether. This is still particularly  true in post communist countries where thousands of children and adults were literally banned from society and clustered in homes far away from towns and cities for several decades.

Acceptance and integration are precisely what Community dance projects such as The Firebird ultimately aim at. Consequently, the participating young "artists" ought to come from different backgrounds and schools.

So, off we went in search of High schools interested in joining the project. Our first experiences soon revealed fundamental differences in the Headmasters´ -or headmistresses´ approach towards new concepts and proposals:

It had seemed to us logical to start by addressing a school where dance is a priority. We were soon given to understand that a project like ours, involving such a variety of backgrounds and such a wide age and talent range did not match the school´s profile, and by the way, seemed doomed to fail for these very reasons.

We then went on to a school where social dance is proscribed but neighbourly love a must. We stressed the contemporary dance character of the project, its altruistic and integrational aspects; yet all our endeavours to persuade the headmaster failed.

In both cases, the headmasters were not broadminded enough to perceive all the positive aspects and long term  effects of such a project for the participants on both sides.

Our next target though, was to surprise us all the more: at Liceul I.L. Caragiale, one of Bucharest´s top schools located in an impressive old building, we were welcomed with open arms by  Gabriela Bancila, its young and dynamic Headmistress who right away offered us a partnership, the school´s gym for rehearsals and its cantine for meals. In return, we offered that a group of pupils take part in the project and  we made two successful presentations of it.

At Princess Margareta School - named after King Mihai´s eldest daughter currently living in Bucharest - we encountered the same enthusiasm for our dance project. Here too, a partnership was soon agreed upon with schoolmistress Daniela Turcsany and a dozen youngsters will join in.

Finally we visited the school Nr 2 for children with hearing impairment. At first sight the involvement of youngsters with such an impairment in a music and dance project might seem somewhat strange, but having still in mind a stunning dance performance in a similar school in Belgrade, I thought we should definitely give some of these youngsters a chance to share this experience with other kids.

Mrs Nedeianu´s implication for her school, the friendly atmosphere of the place and the wholeheartedness of the handicraft teacher made a strong impression on me. The openness and enthusiasm of the kids in the classrooms we visited did the rest. We wish to include eight or ten of them in the Firebird performance.

Life is about seizing chances and opportunities for oneself, or, if you are a school director, it is about spotting these opportunities and giving your kids the chance to grab them and grow through them. We are happy we found some school directors who share our goals.

 

Choreographers´team in Bucharest: day 3

Wednesday, April 8.

9.45  Overwhelming welcoming at Liceul Caragiale: 120 boys between 15 and 17 are expecting Royston, Josef and Pete in a packed hall. There we realize what difference it makes if  two choreographers present their contemporary dance project or if it is presented by two ladies -one of them in her sixties - who, whether they want it or not, will convey the impression that the dance project can only be a ballet kind of thing just good enough for sweet little girls dreaming of toe-dancing in pink tutus.......

And here we are: we hardly  have time to get back to the headmistress´s office that three young men are already waiting for us to register for the "contemporary dance" project! 

It´s time now to drive back  to the airport. A very short visit indeed, but long enough for Royston, Josef and Pete to get a feeling of bustling Bucharest and be impressed by the openness, warmth and competence of the young and less young Romanians they met. 

(Just what I have always said and felt!) 

No doubt, they will be back very soon.......

Choreographers´team in Bucharest: day 2

         A. Arnautu, P. Ayres, M. Gruber, J. Eder, R. Maldoom

April 7.

10.00:  Press meeting and interviews with some representatives of radio and television stations as well as magazines focusing on cultural events and programs.

11.30: Short and pleasant visit at the Royal Palace to meet Princess Margarita with whom  a partnership has been established involving her foundation and the state school named after her Royal Majesty.

12.30: quick snack before a tour of the rehearsal premises put at our disposition by Mrs Bancila, the openminded Headmistress of  Liceul Caragiale. Considering the fact that we lack male participants, we decide to take advantage of our "three-male-crew" to make a presentation of the project tomorrow morning exclusively for boys! 

16.00: Meeting at the National Theatre to see the stage and discuss all technical details of stage, light, costumes and stage props. It is fascinating to observe  Pete and the Romanian theatre crew discussing technical details for hours with hands, feet and  drawings punctuated here and there by technical terms, which are - as we all know - international, that is: English!

18.00 Informal meeting where choreographers, organizers, project partners,  journalists, sponsors and  representatives of schools and institutions have the opportunity to get to know each other and exchange  views and informations on the upcoming project.

Choreographers´team in Bucharest: day 1

April 6th, 5 pm: Royston Maldoom and Josef Eder, our Firebird´s choreographers, land  in Bucharest  along with light designer Pete Ayres for 48 busy hours of  meetings,  interviews and encounters.

6 pm: driving straight from the airport through the heavy rush hour traffic, we arrive just on time for the evening prayers at house Sf. Lazar. An important ritual and  an effective way to allow the youngsters to gather their spirits when coming "home" from their day life on the street before getting a warm meal, some clean clothing and a shelter for the night. 

Tonight there are some 60 of them sitting side by side, listening to the day´s scriptures and to the comments prepared by one of them, singing  wholeheartedly and by heart some of the religious songs from their impressive repertoire, naming and praying aloud for their loved ones, their friends, their educators or their family before heading for the dining-room where their peers on duty serve dinner to all of us.

By the way: tonight, they are 60. Tomorrow, they could be 100. You never know exactly. It can depend on so many things: the season, the weather, a friend, a mood. Neither does one know how long they will stay: it could be just one night, or two, or through the entire winter. Concordia´s aim is  give them a chance: a chance to adapt in a community, get a sense of family life, go back to school and change their attitude towards life, if not their entire life. But in spite of all the disadvantages and dangers that the street offers, the attraction of street life and freedom, which they have got used to for weeks, months or years is often much stronger than a warm meal, a bed and a "home"......and they are so used to being ill-treated, disappointed and let down that it is extremely difficult to give them some kind of confidence back, get them to trust others, themselves, and trust life altogether as being able to bring them some positive experience.

And this is exactly what this dance project is about!

Firebird update!

Whoever had a look into the blog lately might have  wondered whether the Firebird had died. I want to reassure you right away: it is healthier than ever!

The fact that two months have gone by since the last update in the blog does not mean that nothing has been happening in the meantime. On the contrary, there has never been as much activity as during the past 8 weeks: after having been on the verge of despair in December and January, Alexandra - the coordinator of the project in Bucharest - and myself  had to deploy a great amount of energy to convince more companies to join the firebird´s adventure and sponsorize it, be it in cash or kind. 

I just came back from three very intensive weeks in Bucharest, Kronstadt and Hermannstadt, the three cities in which a performance of the Firebird will take place (respectively on Sept 5. 7. and 9.)

In the next few days I will report on Maldoom´s short visit to Bucharest with Josef Eder and Pete Ayres and  sum up the results achieved up to this day.

"Incet, incet"....Slowly but surely!

Four further European companies operating in Romania have now joined the project with generous contributions:

This year, the Fundatia Vodafone, which deals with Romanian children in need, happens to be focusing on music and sport  and luckily, our project happens to combine both! 

E.ON Gaz is also stepping in, warming our hearts, while Carpat Cement will consolidate the project´s fundaments.

PLUS came with the excellent news that they would provide the food for the children´s daily meals throughout the project. A terrific offer, knowing how hungry they will all be after six hours of rehearsal. Just trying to figure out the amounts needed was frightening enough.

We do not even want to think about the amounts of water that will be needed to quench the thirst of some one hundred kids sweating in the glowing  Bucharest heat...

Progress report

Claiming that all the project´s pending costs can already be covered at this stage would be an overstatement. The search for sponsors turned out to be much more arduous than initially expected. Since last summer,  more than 70 applications were sent to companies, foundations, as well as Romanian Ministeries, authorities and institutions and we are still waiting and hoping for some answers.

Nevertheless, we can now reassure the youngsters who are so much looking forward to this exciting experiment: the project will take place. On September 5th they will stand on the stage of the Teatrul National Caragiale in Bucharest for the première, and will leave the next day for two more performances in the province, probably Brasov and Sibiu.

Corporate social responsibility

Although the original idea of "Corporate Social Responsibility" in Europe goes all the way back to the middle ages, it is only since the nineteen fifties that it became the object of scientific research in the United States. Due to  the fact that Europe had a longer tradition of social responsibility and a more developed social system,  it was only in 2001 that the European Union published a document with basic guidelines for Corporate social responsibilities of companies.

At the November meeting of the Deutsch-Rumänische Industrie- und Handelskammer in Bucharest,  Mr H. Eichler, Managing Partner at Mazars Hemmelrath pointed out the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for our societies in today´s world.

"CSR concerns us all because it reflects the key values of our society.  Still, it concerns companies more because it permits them to do business over long periods of time, but it mostly concerns all individuals who work with and for companies as it helps them create a more attractive and high-quality working environment.  Nevertheless, it also concerns company clients that ever oftener decide on making acquisitions in consideration of social and ecologic factors.  Likewise, CSR concerns the people nearby company's location, who are interested in having their values and thoughts shared by the neighbouring company.  It concerns investors and owners who consider that responsible entrepreneurial business should be stimulated. 

Last but not least, CSR concerns our children, the future generations just as the older, neglected, generations in countries like Romania, who wish to live in a world where human beings and nature are held in high regard." 

Good news at last!

After an almost three months silence due to parlamentary elections in Romania, the Christmas Break and last not least, the economic situation world wide, we are back on the net with  good news: after a life threatening illness, the "FireBird" has now successfully been saved.

But before going into details about this arduous recovery process, we feel it is more than time to wish our project´s supporters, friends and readers a successful 2009 in spite of all gloomy predictions. Follow the motto "Don´t worry, be happy" and for this purpose.....

   

             .......DANCE WITH US!

We have to admit that we either did not choose the most propicious moment for realizing our dance project, or that the economic crisis did not occur at the right time. 

However, thanks to ABB Romania, the very first company to have joined us in the FireBird´s adventure, thanks to the support of the Goethe Institute in Bucharest and of all the association´s friends, we have remained confident, keeping in mind Obama´s convincing words: "Yes we can!", a motto which a few companies thankfully seem to keep in mind, even in  these hard economic times. 

Self confidence

„You can all do it. You must just want!“

Maldoom is convinced of it, although he has just entered the rehearsal room and sees the children for the first time; he knows it, because that´s how it has been in each of the round 300 projects he has realized around the globe in the past 30 years.

For many of the youngsters, his introductory remark is like a blow in the face; one more, but this time, a blow of a new kind: Could it be that somebody believes in me?

And sure enough, when expression and communication meet, self confidence is only a matter of time, who knows, may be just the time of the project?

Didn´t Maldoom assert in one of his projects that  

          „you can change your life in a dance class?"

Indeed, chances are that sustained effort  followed by several successful performances will have a lasting impact on a number of kids.

Mind you, we should  not expect a spectacular change right after curtain-fall. It won´t be  as palpable, as solid and concrete as the house newly erected  by your nextdoor neighbour; but an experience of such intensity is bound to leave its mark on each child.

After all, the house next door wasn´t built in one day either; what such a project gives to the youngsters is a pile of solid bricks for the  most fascinating construction: 

the shaping of an individual with character, open to new experiences and strong enough to resist to the current or better still, to swim against it.

 SIBIU 2007

The theatre group "Sfintul Ignatiu" composed of 15 children, aged 4-18 is invited for the second year in a row to present a performance rehearsed under the benevolent lead of producer Liana Ceterchi

Community Dance = Expression + Communication

In the last decades, family and social relations have changed dramatically. Back then, village life was punctuated by public festivities where the inhabitants met to sing or dance. More recently,

Royston Maldoom and Josef Eder have set out to give community dance its past glance back.

Music is a universal language and so is dance. Gather  a hundred youngsters in a hall, dress them alike to conceal their background and elaborate a choreography  to a given piece of music with them. If you have the right approach and know-how they will soon  feel more free to express themselves.

Differences in background and skills will gradually fade away and give way to more acceptance, tolerance and communication between them. And once they get the feeling that they are ONE group  with the same goal and that the only way to get there is to work together, you have reached a win-win situation.

Ex-pression

               "Youth without aging and life without death" 

                  International Theater Festival Sibiu 2007

Communication implies, or even requires the participation of one or more persons  to com-municate with; expression is the sine qua non condition and the first step towards communication; but inversely expression, being primarily a personal search, can make do with just oneself.

Whether you draw, dance, doodle, sing, swing or write sonets, you respond to a deeply felt need: that of expressing your body or soul´s feelings of the moment, be it joy, anger, pain, sadness or love. Whatever you do, it is art, at least for yourself and this is what counts.

                 „Children are artists“

For Maldoom all children  have hidden talents. His job is to help them „ex-press“ their abilities, their feelings.

No wonder then, that he chose to act in war and crisis regions, in prisons, to work with street youngsters and children with special needs; indeed, the stronger the pressure, the deeper the need to "get it out".

Communication

Bucharest-Christmas 2005

Mariuca, an amazing 80 year young Romanian lady "acting" in a Christmas play as the grandmother these children never had

Man´s best asset is communication; after food and drink his most vital need is to share with others his thoughts, his feelings, his activities.

But isn´t it sad and paradoxical, that precisely the century of communication should generate isolation? Maldoom and his team are fighting against it: Community dance is their answer.

Mobile phones, internet, television and advertizing are all means of communication. They use communication; but they abuse it, and above all their users, by depriving them of their most precious ability: genuine communication and exchange. 

A familiar scene: a bunch of youngsters is sitting at a coffee shop, each of them involved in a lively telephone conversation with an absent buddy, when he could have a „real“ exchange with a friend he has at hand; or a mother pushes a pram -mind you, with a child in it- a mobile phone plugged in her ear, when she could be discovering the world anew with her child´s eyes.

You feel like telling them all: hey, you are here, not there! 

Royston Maldoom and Josef Eder will bring them with both feet back on the floor: Focus!