Alumni Spotlight: Gabriel Vanaver
It’s been a minute since we had our last alumni spotlight but we couldn’t wait to share this one with you! As Bill & Livia begin their 3rd annual year of teaching in Auroville, India, their son, Gabe, reflects on his experience in Auroville with his parents last winter. Gabe’s insights into his upbringing are both thoughtful and inspiring and the artistic work he contributes to the world is a clear reflection on his life in the ‘Caravan
Alumni Spotlight Special
It’s been a minute since we had our last alumni spotlight but we couldn’t wait to share this one with you! As Bill & Livia begin their 3rd annual year of teaching in Auroville, India, their son, Gabe, reflects on the time he spent in Auroville with his parents last winter. Gabe’s insights into his upbringing are both thoughtful and inspiring, and the artistic work he contributes to the world is a clear reflection on his life in The Vanaver Caravan.
SPOTLIGHT: Gabriel (Gah-bé) Vanaver
Diana Sabreen (http://www.dianasabreenphoto.com)
BIO: Gabriel (Gah-bé) graduated Naropa University Spring 2017 with a double BA in Music and Traditional Eastern Arts/Yoga Studies. Since then, he has been writing and producing music with his band and other local musicians, teaching yoga, dancing whenever possible, practicing Cyr Wheel, working as a massage therapist, and working on his musical storybook, Water Wings. For the past 2 years, Gah-bé has been working with an incredible team to create "Water Wings” a musical storybook experience; combining the traditional illustrated storybook format with a fully immersive musical audio play. Working with world-class musicians including Guy Davis, members of Elephant Revival (Dango Rose, Bridget Law & Darren Garvey), The Super Saturated Sugar Strings (Alaska), Xerephine (Colorado), and The Front Range Strings (Colorado). With masterful illustrations by Katherine Breen.
We caught up with Gabe, here’s what he had to say!
In what ways has your upbringing with TVC impacted/shaped the life you live today? My rebellious efforts to differentiate myself from my parents drove me to become a musician/singer songwriter/dancer, of course. Haha. Like many other kids, I rebelled as a teenager. But my rebellion was to the current voices prevalent in Hip-Hop, Rock-N-Roll, and Pop culture. Not that I just listened to whatever the media fed me—rather, I saw these formats as a way to connect to people on a global scale. What better way to connect to a collective consciousness than through music and dance? People need that sense of togetherness in their lives, and The Vanaver Caravan really instilled that importance in me. Community, celebrating diversity, and the constant curiosity, engagement and sharing with people of other cultures; these are the core values that I was taught, and they still hold up strong in my life.
Tell us a story about your life in The Vanaver Caravan! How to sum up a lifetime of memories? Traveling, dancing, playing music, learning and sharing… I guess the most prominent memory on my mind was my most recent travel to India with my parents. Last Spring, 2018, we spent our time in Auroville and the surrounding villages near Pondicherry, teaching dance in the local elementary school.
So there I was… Auroville, India, Friday night at the Unity Pavilion, performing my own music in the show and also accompanying my parents with the doumbek and 12-string guitar—and dancing of course, let’s not forget the dancing. Three profound experiences occurred this night.
The first was performing my music for my parents and the audience, and having my message in my music synchronize seamlessly in the show. It was surreal to say the least. I played my song “Chaos” after Bill sang Pete Seeger’s “Garbage”. To give you some context, Pete’s song is about garbage and how wasteful we can be as humans and my song is about the ideas of living alternatively outside the capitalist consumer paradigm.
Second, was performing the “Newspaper Dance”—a structured improvisation dance about single use consumerism and the busy life of capitalism. To bring it up a peg, we brought in some local talented dancers and thespians to collaborate on this piece. We only had a couple rehearsals before the show, and we just had a ball performing it on stage. Probably my favorite dance I have learned from the company.
The third experience was the end of the show where we got people up and dancing. We always do these great folk dances to get people moving. Well, this time I decided its time to incorporate a little Hip-Hop and show how culture lives on in today’s world. I taught the art of the cypher (where people stand in a circle and go in the middle one by one to express themselves and break it down for their peers). The cypher is a sacred space across all street dance styles. When we go in the middle we give to the cypher; when we stand on the side, we feed the person in the middle; cheering, clapping and encouraging that release of energy and listening to the story of the body. So that’s what we did. We made a few circles, I put on a beat, and we didn’t stop until the neighbors complained because we were having too good a time.
Any other parting thoughts/reflections you'd like to share? If there is one thing to take away from The Vanaver Caravan’s mission, it is to look at everyone we meet, and instead of disdainfully judging for not being more like us, engaging with these differences and celebrating all people. Just like the only thing that stays the same is change, the only thing that will bring us all together and understand one another is to accept and celebrate each other’s unique qualities.
Give us three to five words you'd use to describe the overall feeling you get when you think of that time. Folk, World, Community, Unique, extravagant.
Thank you, Gabriel. We love you!
Keep an eye out for his upcoming children’s book, Water Wings! The Kickstarter will be launching in February if you’d like to pre-order or donate to his children’s book experience.
IG @waterwingsproductions / Facebook.com/waterwingsproductions / www.waterwingsproductions.com (website launching soon)
“I am in the business of investing in and creating positive energy. I believe that through music, art and storytelling we speak to the heart of the youth. I believe we must go beyond sustainable practices to regenerative practices. It is not enough to survive in this world, we must thrive in this world. That is why I started Water Wings Productions. We weave and share these stories of positive reinforcement and growth to build confidence, and inspire youth to thrive through life. When I say positivity I don’t only mean happy - la dee da - bliss, I am talking about working through every aspect of the Self and engaging with life to nurture and cultivate resiliency and compassion.”
Reflections & Upcoming Shows
As the New Year begins, we look back at some of our 2018 highlights—and give you some sneak peeks for what’s to come in 2019!
2018 Reflections, 2019 Resolutions
Today, we reflect on a year filled with song, movement, and development, and look forward to a new year of celebration, performance, and travel.
As our friends know, The Vanaver Caravan is made up of a many moving pieces. We have robust dance programs for children and teens in the Hudson Valley; 35 years of enriching arts-education programs in schools across New York State; we have an umbrella in India called Shakti Caravan; and—of course—our international touring Company is always on the move.
What Has The Company Been Up To This Year?
We have been in development for our newest show, Turn Turn Turn: Celebrating Pete Seeger in Dance & Music, in celebration of Pete Seeger’s 100th Birthday this year!
See Turn Turn Turn on May 5th at the Bardavon Opera House. More details to come.
What Has Our Dance Institute Been Up To?
Our Caravan Kids and Youth Company have been growing steadily this past year. Our dancers just finished seven sold out performances of our holiday show, Into the Light, and are taking a well-deserved break!
In 2019, we are excited to…
Host the 29th Annual DanceFest 2019 - March 2nd (rain date March 3rd)
Perform with our entire Dance Institute at 29th Annual Beltane Festival - April 28th
We have TWO full weeks of Caravan Kids Week - July 8-12 & 15-19
SummerDance on Tour will take place on July 22-Aug 10
REGISTER NOW.
What Has Shakti Caravan Been Up To?
Three 2018 Shakti Caravan Teaching Tours:
January - February saw Bill & Livia teaching at the Akiyam School in Auroville, Pondicherry.
In April, Samantha and Brian Lawton and Joel Hannah taught at the Happy Hours School Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
In July, Bharat Verma traveled to New York to teach at SummerDance.
Two Upcoming Shakti Caravan Programs!
January - February 2019: Livia and Bill will return to the Akiyam school in Auroville and head to Udaipur to teach and perform with our friends, Sayari Roots of Gypsy.
April 2019 - Miranda ten Broeke will return to Udaipur to teach in schools and develop a performance on the site of the Shakti Academy.
What Have Our Schools Been Up To?
Our school programs are the cornerstone of what we do and we have had the honor to work in 19 schools this year. In 2018, we taught world dance and fostered cultural understanding to over 1200 students.
As always, we stand committed to our mission to inspire, through dance and music, the harmonious co-existence of world cultures and traditions, to promote peace and celebrate our humanity. Thanks for being a part of our mission and our community!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
"Into the Light" 2018
Performances of our Holiday Show will be held on Dec 1st, at Sinterklaas, 8th and 9th at Kaatsbaan International Dance Center.
INTO THE LIGHT HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES
Into the Light is The Vanaver Caravan’s Holiday Show, in collaboration with Arm-of-the-Sea Theater. This heartwarming performance tells the fantastical story of a young girl’s journey around the world to discover how different cultures celebrate light in the darkest time of the year. Join us for this enchanting, festive dance, with live music, and puppetry as a faithful Bear guides young Lucia around the world. Filled with color, pageantry, and the heartfelt celebration of multi-cultural traditions for everyone in the family, Into the Light honors the traditions of Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Diwali, (India) Sankta Lucia (Sweden), Winter Solstice, and Yule. Members of The Company will join our Youth Company & Caravan Kids for the Feature Performances.
Saturday, December 1st
Into the Light at Sinterklaas Festival in Rhinebeck. Enjoy three half hour excerpted performances at 2pm, 3pm, 4pm. Church of the Messiah Epscpl, 6436 Montgomery St, Rhinebeck, NY 12572, USA. Free event. More Information.
Saturday, December 8th & Sunday, December 9th
NEW! For the first time ever, we are presenting four feature-length at Kaatsbaan International Dance Center in Tivoli, NY on Saturday Dec. 8, & Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018 at 1 PM and 4 PM as part of its Youth and Family Performance Series.
For more info plus video and photo previews, CLICK HERE.
October 19th: Turn Turn Turn
Don’t miss The Company in a performance of Turn Turn Turn: Pete Seeger in Dance and Music. October 19th at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Performance at 7:30pm.
Click Image for Video Preview!
Don’t miss The Company in a performance of Turn Turn Turn: Pete Seeger in Dance and Music.
October 19th at the Chandler Center for the Arts.
Performance at 7:30pm.
About the Performance
2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the iconic folk musician and political activist, Pete Seeger. The Vanaver Caravan, one of America’s most celebrated folk music and dance troupes, pays homage to its friend and mentor, delving with artistic integrity and deep affection into the extraordinary life and musical legacy of Pete Seeger.
The longtime friendship between Bill & Livia Vanaver and Pete Seeger blossomed into collaboration in 1996, when Pete suggested he play for The Vanaver Caravan dancers. This forty-year relationship and professional collaboration laid the foundation for their new full-length program, Turn Turn Turn
Turn Turn Turn honors Pete’s music of social justice and humanity. Now, more than ever, The Vanaver Caravan feels moved to bring Pete’s music with its relevant message, to the stage through dance and new musical arrangements. With five musicians and seven dancers, this program takes the audience on a journey through American history, focusing on the U.S. from the 1930′s through the 2000′s. The show includes styles from clogging to swing dance and Zulu “Gumboot” dancing. Audience participation is encouraged and there is an opportunity for young people to perform alongside the Company. This dance and musical tribute with archival projections, Turn Turn Turn incorporates such legendary Pete Seeger songs as: Kisses Sweeter than Wine, We Shall Overcome, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Guantanamera, Wimoweh, and Turn, Turn, Turn. Recently performed excerpts of Turn Turn Turn have had audiences on their feet, and at times moved them to tears. Energized by Pete’s enduring message, audiences are inspired to make our world a better place.
The current cast of accomplished dancers & musicians includes: Livia Drapkin Vanaver, dancer/choreographer; Samantha & Brian Lawton-stars of the Swing Dance World, and dancers from around the world; Carla Giudicelli, Rafal Pustelny, Emily Vanston, and Ray Davis.
These Vanaver Caravan musicians have been with the Company since the late 70’s: Bill Vanaver, folklorist, composer, multi-instrumentalist/singer, and musical director; Evan Stover ~ fiddler extraordinaire; Linda Richards, Director of Music for the Clearwater; Toby Stover keyboards and percussion; Henry Chapin ~ bassist, singer, and veteran folk performer.
Based on a script by Dominic Orlando, Pete's story weaves throughout the production as “connective tissue.” Davey Steinman coordinated the archival slides and visuals from Pete’s life and songs.
October 19, 2018 @ 7:30 pm
Chandler Center for the Arts
71 N Main St
Randolph, VT 05060
Cost: $42, $34, $27
Contact: 802-728-6464
www.chandler-arts.org
Photo by Lois Greenfield. 2017.
Free Cultural Event! Kingston's Italian Festival
Join the Caravan Kids and Youth Company in their first performance of the season, at the Italian Festival! 12:30pm at the Kingston Waterfront Park.
