LOCATION: GRANADA, Nicaragua

La Calzada was as live as it usually was for a Thursday night. Tourists flocking through the revolving doors of pub , bar and even the corner-stationed Eskimo ice cream shop.Street performers would show off their b-boy style dance moves, some moves that even Crazy Legs himself would approve to the vibrations of old Michael Jackson records. Add that to the presence of vendors and echoing rings of spanish, english and the mix of the two.

And then, they came.

A group of kids with bowling pins in hand started off the at head and worked their way down. Putting on a small display of skill via the talent of juggling. 2 teens would balance their arses on unicycles. A banner indicating that there would be some type of show for Friday & Saturday. I had approached the lady who was holding the hat for tips and decided to inquire about what exactly was going on. After a few minutes of conversation, I had accepted an invitation to a Saturday showing by a group who went by the name of "Performers Without Borders". Their purpose for being in Granada at the time was to help local Nicaraguan youths develop their talents and allow a channel of expression through the medium of comedy and performance art. In this case, it was almost like a circus show that were to be put on at a local comedy & mime school, and drinks would be served. I thought that the goal of the program was pretty dope. Plus, I'm all for supporting the creative arts especially when it means helping the youths.

And so, Sabado came. Coming off from Ometepe Island, there was word from the hostel elder (note: old dude who is at EVERY hostel) that the "circus" was in town.

Once we arrived, the stage was set for nicaraguan youths to perform and display their skill beside performers from all over the world, places such as the United States, London & Costa Rica.

The crowd was a home-y mix of local families with children, and tourists whom thoroughly enjoyed the show, joining in unison as they put up a collection of laughs and applause during the showings of the mime from Costa Rica, the acrobatic gathering of the Nicaraguan children, even the elderly clown doing quite the eccentric comedy piece with a rubber chicken.

My personal favorite was the balancing of fire performed by american performer/traveler Aileen Lawlor. With a baton that had fire blazing on both ends, she managed to fluidly contort and balance the baton using the rhythmic movements of all extremities of her body, to the backing ambience of "Awake" by Tycho.

Overall, the display of talents across the board provided for a good night with good company. The good vibes were flowing throughout the night in adjunct to the Tona beers and the 2-For-1 cocktail offers. Even in the presence of small performance flaws and drops, the focus was not on the technicality or level of skill, but rather the enjoyment that came from both sides of the stage, on AND off. Everybody came in for the reason of supporting a program which helps youths find a purpose, simultaneously revealing talents that can allow them to express themselves. At any given point, you could strike up a conversation with any member of the performance group, even during mid-show there were onlookers who were talking with the master-of-ceremonies, and jugglers who just stepped off the stage mats just minutes prior. Overall, the Performers W/O Borders group puts on quite a show. You can't help but cheer them on hoping that they will overcome the tall order of a lack of program funding. And even with such an obstacle to face, there's no denying the notion that by providing a channel for fun, and laughter for a generation who yearns for self-expression and a meaning within, the Performers W/O Borders program definitely delivers a purpose without boundaries.

Check out the P.W/O.B Website for more information ---> http://performerswithoutborders.org.uk

by PASSPORT|kenny

Field Notes