THE COSMIC CIRCUS
THE LIVING EARTH
Artistic Director
Cheryl Flaharty
Dancers
THE LIVING ALTER
Maitreya Fountain: Danielle Paschal
Earth Bodhisattva: Geneva Rivera
Animal Bodhisattva: Justin Young
Humanity Bodhisattva: Lindsey Shannon
THE COSMIC CIRCUS
Universe: Darren Miller
Mother Ship: Laura Brucia Hamm
The Plieades:
Michelle Poppler
Simone Derow-Ostapowicz
Marguerite Simpson
Carolyn Mae Wells
Selena Rice
Hana Sun
Elizabeth Dunne
Future Paper Boy: Nate Lampley
Red Cords:
Robyn Franklin
Jenn Eng
Carole Holmer
Costume and Set Design
Cheryl Flaharty
Lighting
Hawaii Stage and Lighting
Production Assistant
Lynn Maire Sager
Stage Manager
Barett Hoover
Video Editing
Neal Izumi
Costume & Set Construction
Cheryl Flaharty, Dee Laris, Carlynn Wolfe, Lindsey Shannon, Geneva Rivera, Peggy Hill, Rose Wolfe.
Supported by the Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawai`i or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Cades Foundation, and Jean Rolles.
ABOUT THE SHOW
‘The Living Earth’ was presented in 2009 as the fifth interactive production of IONA’s diverse Salon Series. Staged at Honolulu Hale’s Sky Gate Sculpture designed by Isamu Noguchi, 'The Living Earth' wove together dance and spirituality to present a theatrical dialogue of universal concerns. The interactive performance revolved around a Cosmic Circus featuring a Living Altar of sacred statues that brought the audience through the chakras as the evening progressed. Surrounding the Circus were nine Gates of Earth Awareness performance tents designed to honor and bring awareness to the current state of the planet and human consciousness. Prior to the show, audience members chose their individual “fate,” or order in which they watched the performance evolve as they visited each of the nine Gates.
ABOUT THE COSMIC CIRCUS
The Cosmic Circus sits at the center of 'The Living Earth' and its performers move through the chakras starting at the root and culminating at the crown as the evening progresses. It’s imagery is representative of our shift into the Aquarian Age as seen in the Maitreya Fountain who dances at the Circus’ center - blessing the audience with her waters. The three bodhisattvas who surround her represent the elements of nature, animals, and humankind. The audience enters the space through red cords extended out from three dancers and are guided through each shift in consciousness by the Universe and Mother Ship - master and mistress of ceremonies.
"So it is that you, children of the Living Earth, have been invited to incarnate upon a world where a great transformation is taking place.
So it is that you, children of the Living Earth, are now being bathed in the waters of rememberance, prepared as rainbow warriors to fulfill the promise of the new myth.
Ancient skywalkers, newly formed in this moment, stand in the beauty and power of your true indentity as love’s gift to Gaia. As you emerge in this time, you will awaken and empower others.
Utilizing the tools of laughter, song, dance, humor, joy, trust, and love, you are creating the powerful surge of transformation that will alter the limitations of the old myth of duality and separation, birthing the miracle of unity and peace on Earth.
Welcome, welcome dear ones to The Living Earth."
MAY THE CHANGE BE WITH YOU
There are many dimensions of this shift into the Aquarian Age. We stand in the midst of profound changes in society, consciousness, and the nature of our perception of the world and each other. But to bring about true social change we must first begin by changing ourselves. Each person must accept the responsibility to elevate and manage his or her own state of awareness, take action, and make decisions on a vast array of shifting problems – finding new solutions and providing hope for the future.
