BRAVE // WISE FOOL’S CIRCASPIRE EVENT TAKES ON POLITICS
there are those who gather, called the Ups, and those who make the soup, called the Downs.
Here’s a few clues, without spoilers, about the story:
First clue — We’re
■ often ignorant of the other person’s experience or contributions, even when we’re dependent on them.
Second clue — There ■ are agitators who love to stir the pot.
In this family-friendly story, there are plenty of lessons to be learned.
Learning is an important aspect of Wise Fool, said Christian, who is the artistic director, core artist and administrator for the organization. Wise Fool began in the late 1990s and has several outreach programs. The programs include camps for women, young students and other folks with different types of challenges, like homelessness.
Wise Fool has a special connection to the dance classes at Capital High School and dancers from the school have created a special “lame blame” dance for the show’s agitators, Christian said.
The bonds forged at the circus are as simple as the acts are complex.
“The circus means helping people show up for each other, helping people embrace their potential, and creating a brave space for themselves and for each other,” Christian said.
People of all ages, many with so-called “nonconforming bodies,” are welcome to explore what Wise Fool offers, she said.
“We want to make it accessible to every kind of body, so they can step into those spaces and challenge their fears,” she said.
Tina Sanchez, 39, catapulted into Wise Fool via a camp for women several months ago and stayed to give herself a special 40th birthday gift.
“I want to feel what it’s like to be in my body. I was living here,” she said, pointing to her forehead. “I wasn’t living in my body.”
Now she feels strong and, with three roles in the show, she’s also enthusiastic, she said.
For Sophia Dillard, 24, a new resident in Santa Fe, finding a physical opportunity like Wise Fool was essential to moving here, she said. Terrified of heights, Dillard now is on the trapeze as one of the Ups. Her work with another Up, artist Jacks McNamara, has helped her conquer her fear, she said.
“I love doing it. It’s beautiful,” Dillard said.