UUMMANNAQ MUSIC TO KYRGYZSTAN
Ice Circus of Uummannaq at the Central Asian Festival in Kyrgyzstan
By Galya Morell, greenland today, Kyrgyzstan
14 MAY 2012Acrobats, clowns, jogglers, and »dog whisperes«... this is a newly born »Ice Circus of Ummannaq« which performs on the drifting sea ice of Uummannaq Fjord. It’s a new initiative of Uummannaq Music which has found an ardent support in the local community.
Hunters and children along with international artists working in Uummannaq on the invitation of Uummannaq Polar Institute are the main actors in this new community based initiative.
Ice CircusKevin Morrell, a professional clown from New York, has been working with the children of Uummannaq Children’s Home since late February on productions like »The Snow Queen of Uummannaq« and more, which goes on in Greenlandic and 22 other languages.
All the work in »Ice Circus« is based on improvisation and the strong foundation of traditional Inuit culture. It is mainly targeted to teenagers and is seen as a tool to enhance their self-esteem in the times of uncertainty.
The Central Asian Festival are about to start this week. It is organized by Uummannaq Music, Joel Spiegelman Music and Arts Foundation and Kyrgyz Government.
It will start in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan and then will eventually travel across the country.
The Festival of Music and Arts will open with a Greenland Week at Bishkek Philarmonics - opening of the Aja Ajaja photo exhibit, the screening of the documentary »Tale of Uummannaq« about the creation of Uummannaq Music, and finally the premiere of »Inuk«.
The team behind the »Inuk« movie, Ole Jorgen Hammeken, Mike Magidson, Jean-Michel Huctin and Justin LaValle (composer who wrote a symphony about Greenland) will be there, and many others from China, Venezuela, Germany and Italy.
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