Clowns Without Borders

Part of the fun of running this blog is getting to root around in the lives, histories, aesthetics, and influences of all kinds of artists and performers. I recently had lunch with Les Rivera, who's performing in the Live Arts Festival this fall in Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre's Kill Me Now, to learn what he's been doing in the months leading up to his performance.

He hadn't been dancing for a while, as it turns out. But then he took a trip to Cairo with Clowns Without Borders, an organization that delivers clown shows to children in refugee camps, regions torn by war or disaster, and more. Les said the trip "resurrected me" and helped spur a slew of new work and involvement in the performance community. Check back here soon for a profile of Les, and in the meantime, watch the video he edited about the work done by Clowns Without Borders in Cairo (Les is in the green shirt with the red cap).

--Nicholas Gilewicz