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Friday, March 29, 2024

How circus changes lives

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Mallgoers had the rare opportunity to watch an amazing show by the French National School of Circus and see how it transforms lives in Metamorphosis at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall recently.

This was in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Cameleon, a French Filipino NGO providing protection and rehabilitation to young Filipino girls who have suffered abuse—towards the realization of their dreams of going to school and having a brighter future. It was founded in 1997 by Laurence Ligier, a French National based in Iloilo.

The event was in partnership with SM Mall of Asia with support from SM Cares, and the Zonta Club of Makati Ayala.

Cameleon founder Laurence Ligier and Shaline Gamala, one of Cameleon Association’s success stories

In Metamorphosis, Cameleon presented a unique and incredible circus show with nine excellent foreign circus artists coming from France and Canada. They performed different acts like cyr ring, aerial ring, aerial silk, Chinese pole, hand to hand, acrobatics, tight wire, and Hula hoop. Cameleon girls joined the show to present their talent in contortion, diabolo, and unicycle. 

Luc Richard (stage director) and Patrick Mattioni (circus teacher) created and organized the circus show hosted by celebrity advocate KC Concepcion. Joining the show were third placer in France Got Talent 2016 Alienette Coldfire and popular French actor Sabrina Ouazani.

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Metamorphosis also showed how circus could be a tool for therapy and professional integration. Since the visit of the French Zanzibar Circus in 2004, circus has been fully integrated into the rehabilitation program of Cameleon, thanks to strong partnerships with the French National Circus School (ENACR) and worldwide circus companies from Peru, Canada, and Cambodia. Circus is part of the girls’ therapy as it allows them to come out their shells, feel well, trust others as well as have fun and to build a positive image of themselves.

Metamorphosis is a unique and incredible circus show with circus artists from France and Canada

Over the last 13 years, circus activities helped the girls in rebuilding themselves. Circus is a “school of life,” developing values such as solidarity and responsibility. Circus promotes physical wellness; it increases body awareness, circulation, focus, balance, strength, and flexibility. On emotional health, circus promotes turn taking, leadership, communication, empathy, self-expression and trust. Engagement to circus activities also provides distraction from one current state of stress or mental instability.

Circus is also a professional integration tool for some of the Cameleon’s beneficiaries; 15 girls have become circus trainers and now give circus training sessions every weekend in the center in Passi (Iloilo) for 60 girls. One of them became the official circus teacher

This unique program in the Philippines has already shown its positive impact on girls who demonstrate outstanding progress and more autonomy. Thanks to this partnership, the skills of the girls improved. Four of them went to Peru and France for a one-year training and 15 became regular circus trainers.

Every year, in the context of the partnership with Cameleon, circus professionals and students from ENACR come to the Philippines as volunteers

We can help Cameleon Association in their advocate for children’s rights and build a solid path together to protect women and children against violence by donating in cash or in good. All donations are tax deductible. 

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