Ever been to a circus school? This one in Auroville teaches acro yoga, juggling, acrobatics and aerial acts
The Hindu
After travelling the world as a fire dancer with a French circus troupe, Kalou now teaches aerial acts from a tent in the heart of Auroville
Kalou’s circus classes are adventurous. But finding her school is an adventure in itself. Eluciole Circus, started by Kalou in 2012, is a circus school tucked away in the lush forests of Auroville. Google Maps is not your ally here. And after a point, beefy, four-wheeled vehicles too protest as the wooded lanes get narrower, until they can be manoeuvred only on foot. And therein lies the charm.
A 10-metre high dome peeps from a canopy of trees. Inside the 12-pillared school, students aged five and above, stretch before they end up looking like malleable metal figurines. Some touch their nose to their knees, while others suspend themselves from thick purple cloths and cascade like a delicate waterfall.
There is grace, balance, control and in the centre of it all, enviable abs. Each session is about two hours long. Before the pandemic hit, schools from Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai would visit this centre to experience the basics of circus. During the pandemic Kalou says she noticed more people taking an interest in their own bodies and wanting to learn certain skills from her. But these are experiences that cannot be imparted virtually, she believes.