Kidnapped and forced to become child circus performers,a Nepali troupe now showcase their skills on their own termsIn a dusty gymnasium south of Kathmandu, a group of twentysomething Nepalis are rehearsing a new routine. One girl sways back and forth on a trapeze suspended from the metal rafters, or twisting and turning as two boys play-fight below her. Miming a struggle,one boy ducks as the other tries to seize; one jumps as the other lunges. As the boy shirks off his would-be assailant, he comes close to being hauled offstage, or kidnapped”,in performance-speak. But the kidnapper manages to seize just the boy’s T-shirt, and tears it from him before running absent.
Kidnappings, and trafficking and fending off villains are key themes for Circus Kathmandu,a troupe founded by and comprised of trafficking survivors. Smuggled as children into neighbouring India and sold into the travelling circus industry, they have since turned their unique skillset into an educational art form as Nepal’s first – and only – circus. Related: 'My dream is coming exact': the Nepalese woman who rose from slavery to politics | Kate Hodal Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com