Envision Festival 2012
While traveling in Costa Rica this winter, I hopped a bus and joined the circus.
The bus dropped us off at bamboo camp - volunteers had been working their buns off in the hot sun for a week to construct some amazing stages and structures! Envision Festival was about to launch and I was fortunate to experience a couple of days of creative inspiration, dance, music, art and soul tribe.
Above, the main stage - bamboo, driftwood, silk panels and an Earth Harp that stretches off to the right (not pictured).
Not your average Gym: mega-jungle stylee!
My favorite "booth" was this funky, recycled bike tire construction (below)
These girls made their own batons using the classic Tico-style market bags (white and colored stripes) cut into strips and taped to the ends of sticks.
They were hanging out with the pots and pans in my favorite booth.... these sculptures are meant to be played! There were short rebar wands suspended from cords that we used to bang on the metal stuff - different pitches and tones made for some fun jams.
I had fun making music with all sorts of folks who stopped by. We percussed on tubes of varying lengths using flip flops on sticks.
My friends, Lili and Carlos, rockin' the flops! I also appreciated the artistry in the scrolled iron stand holding the tubes which were lashed down with bicycle tubes (also referred to as Costa Rican duct tape because it is used in a similar fashion and with as much frequency)
As the sun began to set, many of us gathered under a tree for an opening ceremony
There were three swings hanging from the tree which was encircled by a wall of driftwood, beautifully arranged along with stones which were spiraled on the ground
My friend, Xuba, held the root down with his Venezuelan flavored Djembe heart beat while white-robed dancers graced the inner circle and one woman recited an invocation. I met a man who danced under the tree with flowers, feasting the ancestors with beauty and calling in a new world. Calling in a world of healing, peace, beauty and grace. Abundance for all!
As the sun sank into the sea, the Earth Harp rang out, resonating through the sonic boom of the cicadas.
Another amazing bamboo structure put up just for the Envision Festival - This is a double decker bar with a room upstairs for a DJ who can be seen in the night photo below.
The Tea Lounge, day and night
The opening musical act of the four day festival was my friend Human - Check out his music here!
The moon over the rainbow tree (the one with the swings that we gathered under for opening ceremony)
INTI Tribe
Along with the usual sound crew for the main stage, the lighting crew added their artistry to the silk panels at night
Incus and a couple of fire dancers performed the last set on the first night
There were so many performances I can't list them all! My camera ran out of juice the first night. A couple more highlights from my time at Envision.... Astrology with Caroline Casey, music by Sonámbulo and Beats Antique. Also met up with friends who hosted a circus camp on the Big Island of Hawaii while we were there last year - Freyja and Marley were performing and vending their wares (wears would be more accurate!) MahaDevi Design
