The Caravan is in India!
DID YOU KNOW?
The Vanaver Caravan established a partnership umbrella in India called Shakti Caravan? Click that link to learn more, follow Miranda's personal blog to stay updated, and read this wonderful article about a celebration in Udaipur.
Did you know?
The Vanaver Caravan established a partnership umbrella in India called Shakti Caravan? Click that link to learn more, follow Miranda's personal blog to stay updated, and read this wonderful article about a celebration in Udaipur.
“It was such a powerful way to start the year. Traveling into a small village about 2 hours away from Udaipur where Big Medicine created Molela Shakti Sunday. Over a thousand people attended. Bharat’s group, the Heartbeators performed along with lots of local folks and our Youth Dance Company danced 6 pieces interspersed throughout the evening. Margot Abrahams who teaches ballet during SummerDance, danced to Leonard Cohen’s Halleluyah to the music beautifully arranged by Bill and performed by Steve Kent on flute, Bill on guitar and the Youth Company singing harmony on the chorus. This was a place where we were definitely in the minority and were treated so warmly amidst the curiosity andendless selfie requests. It was an honor to be part of this festival.....the first time for this village.”
Dancing with the Heartbeators in Udaipur.
Spring Dance begins Monday, January 9, 2017 -
Register Now!
** NOTE FOR MaMA IN STONE RIDGE CLASSES: Route 213 over Rondout Creek bridge construction. The bridge carrying Route 213 over the Rondout Creek will be closed to traffic throughout our whole semester. A signed detour will direct Route 213 onto Cottekill Road. Please plan accordingly!
Weekend Reflections
Well, our show went smoothly on Sunday at the Ellenville High School. Into the Light filled the audience with warmth as we danced dances from Sweden, Poland, India, Nigeria... As we danced Chanukah and Christmas dances, and celebrations of light and the winter solstice. Accompanied by our musicians and the singers of Barely Lace, the theater was full of authentic sounds and beautiful music. Our story of young Lucia was welcomed by all as Neve Parker did an extraordinary job with her beautiful dancing.
Rehearsals starting early Sunday, with dancers of all ages coming together. When not on stage, we readied ourselves backstage and helped prepare costumes and Arm-of-the-Sea's puppets. The CaravanKids from Ellenville joined us and fit right in, making friends easily with our little dancers from New Paltz.
We had a wonderful time sharing our dance and celebration with all, as we always do.
Preparing for Into the Light! L-R: Neve Parker, Rafal Pustelny, Livia Vanaver (front), Emily Vanston, Gustavo Caldas, Robert Melikyan, Samantha Lawton, Brian Lawton (front)
UP NEXT: FOLLOW OUR ADVENTURE AS WE EMBARK TO INDIA!
Check out Shakti Caravan to see some of the great things we have been working on in India.
Make your tax deductible donation before the New Year! Help us on our road to India.
Into the Light date change!
Due to snow, the Into the Light performance in Ellenville has been changed to SUNDAY, Dec 18th at 3:00 pm.
Due to snow, the Into the Light performance in Ellenville has been changed to SUNDAY, Dec 18th at 3:00 pm.
Please come out and join us to celebrate the holidays!
Ellenville High School Theater, 28 Maple Ave, Ellenville NY, 12428
**Performers, the Sunday schedule is the exact same as the Saturday one. Please arrive on time and be ready to go!**
News from the Caravan
The company members boarded their flight to Miami, Florida with great anticipation a few days ago. They welcomed Joel Hanna, who came all the way from Canada, and celebrated Alena and Neve joining as company members! Nights were filled with . . .
L-R: Alena Brocker, Neve Parker, Toby Stover, Joel Hanna, Samantha Lawton, Brian Lawton, Jesse Kotansky, Barbara Martinez, Gustavo Caldas, Fode Sissoko
“After a long weekend and school shows today of Festivals of Light. We are at a delicious Turkish restaurant down the street from the beach!! A much deserved change from torrential rain and freezing theatres. Ahh... sun.”
The company members boarded their flight to Miami, Florida with great anticipation a few days ago. They welcomed Joel Hanna, who came all the way from Canada, and celebrated Alena and Neve joining as company members! Nights were filled with dancing and music. Festivals of Light did exactly what it was made to do... It brought light into the darkest time of the year.
The Caravan is back in New York and gearing up for our next big event-- Into the Light in Ellenville! We have the adult company joining us for this show, as well as our dancers in our Ellenville program at the Ellenville Public Library. This performance will be the first for many young dancers (this is the first time some of our Ellenville students have ever danced!) and we are thrilled with all their hard work and focus. They surely will shine brightly.
Please join us Saturday, December 17 (Snow-date Sunday Dec 18) at the Ellenville High School (28 Maple Ave., Ellenville NY) for Into the Light! The show begins at 3:00 pm.
*Suggested donation at the door*
**IN CASE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER PLEASE CALL ELLENVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO SEE IF THE SHOW WILL BE POSTPONED UNTIL SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18th! 845.647.5530**
Consider giving the gift of dance or a dance bag for the holidays!
Register online for SpringDance and check out our online store!
Lastly, the time to make a tax deductible donation is now!
Please consider making a contribution or becoming one of our Sustaining Partners.
Our new Sustaining Partnership opportunity:
• Contribute an automatic monthly gift, of any amount, through our new website
• Sustaining Partnerships spread the financial impact of their giving across the entire year
• Sustaining Partnerships regulate company cash flow and facilitate forecasting
Sustaining Partners make automatic monthly contributions of any amount and can be anonymous or recognized through both print and online exposure. They are also given first choice to sponsor special initiatives as they arise.
Your tax-deductible, unrestricted contribution is used to support programs that help The Vanaver Caravan fulfill its mission to promote peace through world dance and music, facilitating respect and understanding, and celebrating the diversity of our community.
We Thrive Because Of You.
Reflections from Sinterklaas 2016
The Caravan had a great time performing Into the Light at the Sinterklaas festival this weekend. Thank you to all of our beautiful performers! Read some more reflections here and come see our full performance on December 17th in Ellenville. Happy Holidays!
Celebrating 6 Years of Into the Light at Sinterklaas.
The Caravan had a great time performing Into the Light at the Sinterklaas festival in Rhinebeck this weekend. Thank you to all of our beautiful performers!
If you missed this weekend's performances, or want to see the full production in action, come see Into the Light at the Ellenville High School Theater, 28 Maple Avenue, Ellenville, NY. Dec 17 at 3pm. Click below for more details and scroll down to read reflections from this weekend.
Reflections from Juliet:
Bright eyed and wide awake, we ventured out to Sinterklaas. It’s been years since Izzy and I performed with our Caravan family for their holiday spectacular, but we’ve created our own tradition of Sinterklaas. Every year we look forward to the first Saturday of December because we know what awaits us. After our morning routine of grabbing coffees, we got into my car and started our journey towards Rhinebeck. Anticipation flowed between us as we became more and more thrilled at the idea of seeing our family perform the dances we grew up on.
We arrived at the Church and greeted dancers, new and old. Though we weren’t dancing, we were there to help in anyway we could. Adjusting costumes, helping with masks, making small changes to the script, we were still a part of the family. Circling up before the show, Livia announced that this would be the last Sinterklaas for Alena, Morgane, Kaya, and Neve (some of our Youth Company dancers) who will be graduating high school in June. I looked over to Alena, smiled and whispered “or you can be like me and Izzy and come anyways…” Because Izzy and I will always, always try our hardest to be present at Sinterklaas for it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
We watched the performance, seeing dancers transform into forest creatures and adapt their movements to become more and more like the puppets they danced within. I saw my students from years ago now taking on the roles I used to play. It brought tears to my eyes to see everyone growing up. It brought tears to my eyes to watch with awe at the beautiful pieces coming together in such a colorful pageantry.
Izzy and I heard all the familiar music from the balcony-- we felt it in our bones. We felt our muscles flex as all the repertoire flooded back into our system, and our vocal chords opened up as we started to sing along with the whole company. We may not be actively dancing at the moment, but it is very clear that the Caravan taught us that we will never forget how to dance. We will never forget the thrill and excitement of giving the gift of dance to an audience and to each other.
Words from Livia:
When the Dalai Lama was asked “what can help the world at this time?” He replied, "more festivals!"
Being part of the Sinteklaas festivities in Rhinebeck annually held on the first Saturday of December is a ritual to which we at The Vanaver Caravan all look forward! Many of us feel that this is indeed the start of our holiday season. This is the 6th year that we have collaborated with Arm-of-the-Sea Theater filling the Church of the Messiah with giant puppets, 30 performers and 3 packed houses. The full sound of our musicians, Toby, Evan, Bill, Steve and Apple & Carrie of Barely Lace, playing way up high in the back balcony lifted everyone's spirits. What I love every year is watching the youngest children in CaravanKids Project experience this event for the first time; how serious and focused they are… and what troupers withstanding 6 hours of rehearsing and performing. When we circle up backstage before each show, it's a time to feel the deep presence and warmth of our Vanaver Caravan community. Youngest to oldest we are ages 6-73. We talked about how the 4 oldest Youth Company girls were once the Village Children, and now they are playing the lead roles before going off to college next year... This was Alena's last performance as Lucia and she was indeed 'radiant with the light of the sun'. We speak about how performing Into the Light is a privilege and how we must give our dancing as a gift to the audience and to each other. We strengthen one another through celebration, lift our spirits and generate joy. I feel deeply grateful for all the dancers and their families, musicians, collaborators who come into my life and the life of the Caravan and who make these performances possible. And special thanks to Jeanne Fleming who organizes Sinterklaas and is indeed the Queen of Festivals. I agree with the Dalai Lama wholeheartedly...More Festivals!!!
PLEASE JOIN US IN ELLENVILLE, DECEMBER 17 FOR THE FULL VERSION OF INTO THE LIGHT WITH OUR ENTIRE COMPANY! IT WILL TRULY BE A FESTIVAL CELEBRATING BRINGING LIGHT INTO THE DARKEST OF TIMES.