Dakar, July 15 (AFP\/APP): Marietou Thiam’s slender figure twists and twirls, suspended in mid-air by a hoop, under the spellbound gaze of onlookers at Dakar’s first-ever circus festival.<\/p>\n
Thiam, 29, is the artistic director — and one of only two women members — of Sencirk, Senegal’s premier circus troupe, which organised the festival.<\/p>\n
She moved to Dakar to study English but at the age of 21 left that life behind to join the circus.<\/p>\n
“I performed in more and more shows and a moment came where I had to choose, because I couldn’t continue to do both,” she told AFP.<\/p>\n
“It (the circus) is what I loved most, because it brought me close to the kids … I said, ‘I’ve found my career’.”<\/p>\n
Her family has never approved of the decision. But when she is on stage, Thiam has no regrets.<\/p>\n
She is carried by the magic of the moment — and the importance of Sencirk’s mission.<\/p>\n
That’s because the circus company also functions as a place of learning for orphans and children from low-income families.<\/p>\n
It offers them a chance to learn new skills, find a sense of community — and have some fun.<\/p>\n
One of the teachers, Malick Soumah, says Sencirk has changed his life.<\/p>\n
The 30-year-old came to Senegal from Guinea in 2015 and was living on the streets until he stumbled upon the company.<\/p>\n
Now, through teaching, he can afford to rent an apartment in Ngor, a village-like neighbourhood in Dakar.<\/p>\n
On a clear May afternoon on Ngor beach, Malick leaps into the air and looks as though he will fly away, head over heels, his feet appearing to touch a bright, white sun.<\/p>\n
One acrobatic feat leads to another, and suddenly Malick is forming a human pyramid with his troupe.<\/p>\n
He is both an artist and a teacher, sharing his passion with children in need — children who could one day take up Malick and Marietou’s mantle.<\/p>\n
Soon it will be their turn to ascend the pyramid and reach for the stars.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dakar, July 15 (AFP\/APP): Marietou Thiam’s slender figure twists and twirls, suspended in mid-air by a hoop, under the spellbound gaze of onlookers at Dakar’s first-ever circus festival. Thiam, 29, is the artistic director — and one of only two women members — of Sencirk, […]<\/p>\n
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