Dec 28 - 11 min read
Circus
Piotr Kopatz, a real life Peter Pan
Saturday's Tales
“The Changeling” written by Selma Lagerlöf_part 1
The Queen and her King had wished for a baby for many years. A summer day in June, their daughter finally arrived.
As for the family of trolls in the nearby forest, they shared the royal family’s wish. They got it granted. And can you believe it? The Troll mother gave birth on the very same day as the Queen.
One day, when the Troll mother is out on her daily walk in the forest, she decides to take a left turn where she usually always turn right. Maybe this was because of a sixth sense, or was it just the birds chirping louder in that direction? She ends up finding the castle grounds and discover the Queen taking a nap with her baby princess in the garden.
The Troll mother looks at her baby and then at the Princess. Never has she seen such rosy cheeks on a child. So hairless, and what a cute little nose! Even though it might break her heart a little, she decides to exchange the babies. Because when a troll finds something they want, they steal it.
The princess baby grows up with the troll family but is constantly treated as a misfit. She is considered conformable, obedient, fake, and weak. “Why do you have to smile all the time? Can you never say no to anything?”, the Troll mother asks.
On the other side of the forest, the troll baby grows up with the royal family. She is constantly treated as a misfit. Her voice is too loud and her words are too mean for a royal setting. She is considered misbehaved and dirty.
None of the families are happy and the kids rebel against their parents’ ways. They do not feel at home and will not comply to whatever expectations their surroundings set. Something has to be done...
“The Changeling” written by Selma Lagerlöf_part 2
The years go by and the tension is steadily growing between the daughters and their parents.
There is no more hope in the royal family of getting along with their daughter. If they had only known she is actually not theirs, but a troll exchanged for their Princess!
In the deep forest, the Troll mother questions her choice of giving away her child. How could she think that Princess Changeling would ever be a good fit for their family?
To get away from their turbulent households, both daughters take walks in the forest daily. Fresh air is a good way to clear your head. The tall trees give calm and shelter to cry out your frustrations. When you need to be alone, this is where you can gain peace and quiet.
One day, on her daily walk in the forest, the Princess walks further than she has ever done. A big fight at home made her go on and on, she even considered sleeping outside just to avoid the nagging trolls. Little did she know, that her choice to cross glade after glade, would lead her to discover the castle where she was born. The place where her real parents live, where she should have rested her head all these years.
The Queen was out in the garden to look for her Troll daughter, who had run off after being yelled at for destroying her dress and refusing to come to dinner. In the garden, she finds the Princess and is reunited with her real daughter.
With big leaps and tears running down her cheeks, the Troll daughter runs through the forest. Up and down hills, for as long as her legs can bear her weight. When she runs out of breath, she sits down to rest, wipes her tears, and looks around. “Is there someone living in the cave over there?” she asks herself. The Troll daughter slowly walks towards the cave opening and discovers that the people inside look just like her! She reunites with her mother and will never set foot in the castle again.
Both daughters have found their way back to their families.
THE END.
Storyline inspired by “The Changeling” written by Selma Lagerlöf (1915).
Dancers: Clara Orlando, Mathilde Julie James, Sóley Freyja Eiríksdóttir, Katrin Djurhuus ( @clara_orlando_ @mathildejuliejames @soleyfreyja @katrin_djurhuus )
Producer, Editing: Clara Orlando ( @clara_orlando_ )
Director: Clara Orlando, Andrés Cerdeira Mendez ( @clara_orlando_ @a.handstand )
Filming: Andrés Cerdeira Mendez ( @a.handstand )
Music: Linnea Jönsson ( @linneamiqela )
“Putte's Adventures in the Blueberry Forest” pt. 1, written by Elsa Beskow
It’s a beautiful autumn day. Crispy cold air and clear blue sky. The leaves are still holding onto their branches, but slowly turning into a fiery red. Putte’s mom is going to bake a pie and sends her son out in the nearby forest to pick some blueberries for it. Putte is but seven years old, but knows the little forest well and is excited to go on a mission. There is always an adventure awaiting here. He feels happy and safe amongst the trees. The walk amongst the trees turns into crawling, as he has to be close to the ground to find the blue jewels. One hour passes by, and then another one, but no berries are to be found. Putte is losing both energy and motivation and decides to take a break, sits down, and falls asleep. It is deep sleep, that can’t be disturbed by the wind or the birds.
At some point, an unusual sound is catching his unconscious mind and he awakens to find blueberries everywhere. Not only blueberries but blue people. Just next to him they sit, all blue and not bigger than pine cones. Putte looks around and realizes that the trees have grown ten meters higher and the blueberries around him are big as melons, he as well has shrunk in size. He gets to know that he has arrived at the Blueberry Kingdom, and the adventure has just begun.
Storyline inspired by “Putte's Adventures in the Blueberry Forest” written by Elsa Beskow (1901).
Poledance, Video, and Editing: Clara Orlando ( @clara_orlando_ )
Dancers: Mathilde Julie James, Sofia Kistol ( @mathildejuliejames @sofilaren)
Music: Linnea Jönsson ( @linneamiqela )
“Putte's Adventures in the Blueberry Forest” pt. 2, written by Elsa Beskow
Putte has arrived at the Blueberry Kingdom and is amazed to find leaves big as umbrellas, mice the size of horses, and pinecones big enough to sleep in. His day with the Blueberry People passes by fast as it is filled with games, joy, and new impressions.
Of course, a day like this makes you very tired. An overwhelmed Putte lays down to sleep against a fallen tree branch.
As he wakes up, everything seems to have transformed back to the reality he knows. There is no sign of the blueberries and the leaves that were just a moment ago big enough to cover him as blankets have shrunk back down to their normal size. Putte searches for signs, was it all just a dream?
Suddenly, he notices a blueberry stain on his arm, that wasn't there before. It must have been from all the messy games in the Blueberry Kingdom. So it was real! Putte is filled with joy as he runs back home to tell his mother. What an adventure!
Storyline inspired by “Putte's Adventures in the Blueberry Forest” written by Elsa Beskow (1901).
Poledance, Video, and Editing: Clara Orlando ( @clara_orlando_ )
Dancers: Mathilde Julie James, Sofia Kistol ( @mathildejuliejames @sofilaren)
Music: Linnea Jönsson ( @linneamiqela )
Meli part 1
Storyline inspired by “Meli” written by Selma Lagerlöf (1901);
No one that sees her walking down the street can help themselves from thinking: “Oh how miserable she is! A poor hunchbacked child! Oh, how miserable she is!”
Meli isn’t more than seven years old, but she’s already got the troubled face and the long, thin hands.
It takes effort to talk to her like any other child. The voice is unconsciously altered to a compassionate and pitiful tone. She is too sick and fragile for a normal life. Going to school or playing with friends exhausts her and leaves her in bed for the rest of the day.
Meli’s father is with her through it all. She is his biggest treasure. He is with her when she’s starting and quitting school. Starting and quitting piano lessons. Putting hours and hours into making her life at home worth living.
Now and again, you don’t see her for a long period of time, and when you re-encounter her, you get to hear that she’s been at the hospital.
The first time she went, she was anxious and afraid. But that was a long time ago now. The hospital is Meli’s favorite place. The nurses and doctors are all friends with her and let her tag along to visit other patients. They don’t speak to her with pitiful voices but treat her with respect and kindness.
Two steps behind her walk her father. He can’t help but feel concerned about her every move. The doctors have told him that the girl probably won’t survive for long. “Over the summer they thought I would get to keep her, but not anymore. What will become of me without my child?”
It is true, that the father loves her unconditionally. Always having to protect and watch over her is filling his life with purpose no healthy child could. It would be a great sorrow to lose his little girl. But it would be for the best. What could become of such a fragile child? What life is offered to her?
Selma Lagerlöf was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1909.
Poledance, Video and Editing: Clara Orlando (@clara_orlando_ )
Music: Linnea Jonsson (@linneamiqela)
Dancers: Andrés Cerdeira, Thor Støvelbæk, Sophie Hyrup
(@a.handstand @thorstovelbak @sophie_hyrup )
Meli part 2
Meli’s life isn’t like every other 7 years old’s. She’s often too sick to leave the bed and has no chance of keeping up with the other kids’ fast-paced games. So her parents built a cabin outside the city. To live close to nature is easier than living close to the school when you can’t go to the latter.
All around the city you can find deep caves and huge piles of boulders, as this is a place of mining. Even next to Meli’s cabin you can find these big blocks of stone. For a child with a lot of time at home, it didn’t take long until she had found her own secret cave. A room of stone to hide and play in.
One day when she walks towards her secret cave, she hears a bird squeaking. It’s a sparrow that can’t seem to fly. She takes a closer look and realizes it’s got a broken wing. Oh, how many hours hasn’t Meli been taken cared of by nurses? How many days hasn’t she spent playing that her dolls are her patients? The decision was made in an instant, she would make it her mission to heal the bird.
The summer goes by and she spends her days in the cave, with a father at home wondering how much his daughter is hurting from not being able to play with the other kids having their summer break.
As the autumn leaves start falling. Meli brings her dad to the cave. It’s the first person who gets to see her hiding spot. To her father’s surprise, there are no dolls or toys to be found there. Only cage after cage with now healthy animals that Meli has been treating calmly and patiently away from sickness. Week after week the place has grown with patients, crows, mice, doves, and owls, have all gotten love and care.
Her proud father spread the word and the cave started to get visits from curious people all over town, they even brought found animal patients for her! Meli didn’t have to seek after other kids at their playgrounds anymore, now they all came to visit her. She didn’t have too long after having friends, they showed up at her doorstep.
After a couple of weeks, the most important visitors arrived. Without her knowledge, her favorite nurses from the hospital took a day off to see if the rumors were true. “You’ve seen our hospital many times, Meli, now it is your turn to show us yours.”
As the nurses leave, her father walks them out.“She will become a greater nurse than any of us when she grows up”, one nurse says. “When she grows up”, the father repeats. “You know what the doctor has said, she won’t survive.”
“Now she can probably survive”, the nurse responds. “She has started to grow! It shows, that now she’s got something to live for.”
Selma Lagerlöf was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1909.
Poledance, Video and Editing: Clara Orlando (@clara_orlando_ )
Music: Linnea Jonsson (@linneamiqela)
Dancers: Andrés Cerdeira, Thor Støvelbæk, Sophie Hyrup
(@a.handstand @thorstovelbak @sophie_hyrup
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