2016 führten wir mit den jungen Teilnehmern interaktive Councilpraktiken fort, die einerseits eine differenzierte Sichtweise auf geschichtliche Ereignisse, wie z.B. die Wurzeln 1. Weltkriegs und des heutigen Ukrainekonflikts ermöglichten, jedoch besonders auch Möglichkeiten für aktive Einflussnahme auf gesellschaftliche Entwicklungsprozesse entwickeln sollten. Neben kleineren Projektideen, die bereits 2016 von den TN umgesetzt wurden, entstand der Plan zur Einrichtung eines internationalen Jugendbildungsortes im ländlichen Russland, eines Kulturfestivals mit einem Tanzprojekt unter französischer Leitung und einer Schulungsreihe für Erlebnispädagogik und Non-formales Lernen in der Ukraine. Im Follow up 2017 möchten die jungen Initiatoren, eine oder mehrere dieser 3 Ideen weiter verfolgen und gemeinsam praktisch auf den Weg zu bringen. In einem Projektentwicklungstreffen, dass im Herbst 2016 stattfand haben die Teilnehmer 3 Bausteine entwickelt , die ihrer Meinung nach friedensbildend in Russland und der Ukraine in die nahe Zukunft hinein wirken werden:
1. Internationales Workcamp zur Unterstützung des Aufbaus eines ländlichen Jugendbildungsortes in der Kuraginoer Region in Russland. Nach dem Projekt (100 für Frieden) 2016 entstand nicht nur die Idee, sondern es wurde bereits ein Grundstück, Baumaterialien zur Verfügung gestellt. Die Jugendleiter wählten das Bildungshaus am Rande der Taiga als Sommerprojekt aus und erste praktische Schritte fanden im August 2016 unter Leitung der lokalen Initiativgruppe statt. Das geplante Workcamp hat im Frühling / Sommer 2016 stattgefunden und den Ausbau des Jugend- Bildungsortes unterstütz.
2. F-D-UA-RU Tanzprojekt im Rahmen eines Jugendmusikfestivals in Russland im Sommer 2017. Der Vorschlag für diesen Projektteil kam von französischen Seite. Für die Tanzaktion stehen dort Anleiter und Erfahrung zur Verfügung. Gleichzeitig sollen das Tanzprojekt, Musikfestival und die Umsetzung des ländlichen Bildungszentrums miteinander verknüpft werden.
3.Schulungsseminar für non-formales Lernen, Geschichtsarbeit im Council und Erlebnispädagogik in Babyn/ Ukraine 2017.
Nachdem in November 2016 der erste Teil des Tanzptojekts in Fahren von der französischen Partnerorganisation durchgeführt wurde, wurde der zweite Teil im Frühling 2017 in Russland realisiert. 6 TeilnehmerInnen aus Deutschland, 6 TeilnehmerInnen aus Frankreich und 12 TeilnehmerInnen aus der Ukraina und Russland sind ins sibirische Dorf in die Kuraginoer Region gefahren, wo die ersten Schritte zum Aufbau des Jugendzentrums schon gemacht wurden. Das Zentrum war schon bereit, die TeilnehmerInnen zu empfangen. Die Leitung übernahm die französische Partnerorganisation "Aqui y Ahora" mit Natalia Bearzotti als Tangolehrerin mit der organisatorischen Unterstützung von dem Grüner Grashalm (Deutschland) und INTERRA (Russland). Das Ziel des Projekts war den jungen Menschen aus Frankreich, Deutschland, Ukraine und Russland die Möglichkeit zu geben, zusammenzukommen, auszutauschen, zusammen zu lernen und die Initiative zu ergreifen, weiter daran zu arbeiten, das Jugendbildungszentrum im internationalen erfahrenen Team auszubauen und die Konzeption auszuarbeiten. Außerdem haben diese zwei Wochen Tango Lernen und Tanzen die jungen Menschen nah miteinander gebracht, was das offene und reflektierende Dialog zwischen den Teilnehmern und den lokalen Menschen aus den benachbarten Dörfern ermöglicht hat. Der zweite Linie des Projekts war die Erlebnispädagogik und ihre Methoden. Es wurden zwei Touren in die Berge organisiert, um die TeilnehmerInnen in die Verbindung mit der Natur zu bringen, um sie aus der Komfort-Zone rauszubringen. Das Ziel war die Gruppe als Lerngemeinschaft zu wahrnehmen zu lernen, das ökologische Bewusstseins zu schärfen, die Verantwortung übernehmen und initiativfähig sein zu lernen.
Die russische Partnerorganisation "INTERRA" hat uns viel lokal unterstützt und mit den lokalen Menschen in den Kontakt gebracht.
Der dritte Teil des Projekts wird im Herbst 2017 in Frankreich bei "Aqui y Ahora" in Toulouse organisiert.
Plus d’informations
"Europa an allen Fronten- Eine Zeitreise 1914-2018" Es handelt sich um die Fortsetzung eines mehrteiliges internationalen Jugend und Filmprojektes an Originalschauplätzen des 1. Weltkrieges. Im Projekt werden Handlungsansätze entwickelt, wie junge Menschen aus möglichst vielen Ländern, ausgehend von persönlich erfahrenen Geschichtsbezügen, Frieden-bildend wirksam werden können. Ein Brennpunkt ist hierbei der Konflikt Amerika-Europa- Ukraine-Russland. Nach drei bewegenden Projektjahren 2014-2016 in Frankreich, Deutschland, Russland und Ukraine haben wir 2017 mit den Teilnehmern und mehreren Kooperationspartnern bisher 3 Projektteile zur Umsetzung 2017 geplant, in denen Jugendleiter aus diesen Ländern einige selbst im Vorjahr entwickelte Projektideen umsetzen und weiter zum gemeinsamen und selbstständigen Handeln inspiriert und geschult werden. Damit eine weitere Verstetigung und Multiplikation der Projektergebnisse erzielt werden, die selbstständige Projekte in den Folgejahren möglich macht. .
Déroulement du projet
Hier ist das Blog eines der Teilnehmer des Tango Projekts
Tango in Siberia
When Argentine sun and Siberian snow meet, the result is great. This spring – yes, yes, we sank in six centimetres of snow when we ventured a bit in nature, but still, it was spring, Natalia taught the tango far from his country of origin, in a village lost in the depths of South Siberia. It is here, in Petropavlovka, that the organization Grüner Grashalm eV. stays and where adventurers from different countries get to know each other, make friends and share moments with the people of the village. In April 2017, the tango was in the spotlight.
The philosophy of tango
Tango is much more than steps to learn. There is a philosophy of tango. The code has its logic. “It is the space between the two dancers that creates the dance” says Natalia, the tango teacher from Argentina. Far from clichés, the tango must be a feast and a meeting. The meeting… This is the link between tango’s and Grüner Grashalm e.V.’s projects. With participants from Russia, Germany, Ukraine, France and Argentina, tango takes on its full meaning and becomes a place of intercultural exchange. Another dialogue is created when the participants perform gymnastic and dance with the children of Petropavlovka or practice folk dances with the inhabitants during the milonga in the village of Sharomshanka and in Krasnoyarsk.
Discover the power of your body
Natalia returns to the fundamentals (like relearning to walk) with simple tools. Tango has many virtues: “It develops self-confidence. You discover the power of your body by realizing that you are able to stand”, Natalia says. The exercises are sometimes far from what we could expect. We learn the steps, of course, but Natalia proposes exercises much more surprising to make us feel and understand tango. An example: the students tell about a route they have done many times (from school to home, for example) and a story. Then, each one must create a new narrative from the other’s stories. A metaphor of the tango, which can not be danced without taking the others into account.
“I was like a wild horse”
Philipp, from Rostolk (Germany), had never danced tango. “Natalia teaches step by step, which gives the impression to progress, he testifies. Now I feel more comfortable. I remember the first time. I never led anybody, I was like a wild horse.” Philipp had already participated in the project in February 2016. When he heard of another project through a friend, he said “Oh! I want to participate!”.
Before coming to Petropavlovka, some of the participants spent a week in Germany for the first part of the project. In the village of Faren (near Hamburg), they learned how to link different disciplines, even though, as the weather was not favorable, the climb initially planned was not finally possible. Really, the tango has something in common with climbing or acro-yoga. In all three disciplines, the center of gravity is of fundamental importance. In another project, Natalia worked with the martial arts. This is not a reason to give a right hook to your partner!
For many, the project was only an opportunity to discover the tango (which is already a lot), for others, the courses bring them a plus in their professional career. This is the case of the French girls (my dear compatriots!), who study performing arts and circus. Malaury says that the courses have brought her a lot. She has not only learned the technical bases of the tango, that she did not dance before, but also the guidance (how to guide her partner), useful for other couples dances.
Although the objectives of each one could be different, all the participants have one thing in common: they left the place with an unforgettable memory of their stay. As for me, I returned to Krasnoyarsk, then to France. But I may one day see again to the wooden houses of Petropavlovka…
(French version)
Quand le soleil argentin et la neige de Sibérie se rencontrent, le résultat vaut le coup. Ce printemps – oui, oui, on s’enfonçait dans soixante centimètres de neige quand on s’aventurait un peu dans la nature, mais c’était quand même le printemps, Natalia enseignait le tango loin de son pays d’origine, dans un village perdu au fin fond de la Sibérie du Sud. C’est ici, à Petropavlovka, que l’organisation Grüner Grashalm e.V. organise des séjours où des aventuriers de différents pays font connaissance, se lient d’amitié et partagent des moments avec les gens du village. En avril 2017, c’est donc le tango qui était à l’honneur.
La philosophie du tango
Le tango, c’est bien plus que des pas à apprendre. Il y a une philosophie du tango. Le code a une logique. « C’est l’espace entre les deux personnes qui crée la danse », explique Natalia, la professeur de tango venue d’Argentine. Loin des clichés, le tango doit être une fête et une rencontre. La rencontre. C’est là que se rejoignent la danse et le projet de Grüner Grashalm e.V.
Avec des participants venus d’Allemagne, de France, d’Ukraine, d’Argentine, et des locaux, le tango prend tout son sens et devient un lieu d’échange interculturel. Un autre dialogue se crée quand les participants font de la gym et dansent avec les enfants de Petropavlovka ou pratiquent des danses folkloriques avec les habitants lors de la milonga au village de Sharomshanka et à Krasnoïarsk.
Découvre la puissance de ton corps
Natalia revient sur les fondamentaux (comme réapprendre à marcher) avec des outils simples. Le tango a bien des vertus : « Il développe la confiance en soi. Tu découvres la puissance de ton corps en prenant conscience que tu es capable de te tenir debout », explique Natalia. Les exercices sont parfois éloignés de ce que à quoi je m’attendais. On apprend les pas, certes, mais Natalia a dans son sac des exercices bien plus surprenants pour nous faire sentir et comprendre le tango. Un exemple : les élèves se racontent un parcours qu’ils ont fait de nombreuses fois (maison-école, par exemple) et une histoire. Ensuite, chacun doit créer un nouveau récit à partir des histoires entendues. Une métaphore du tango, qui ne peut se danser sans prendre en compte les autres.
« J’étais comme un cheval sauvage »
Philipp, de Rostolk (Allemagne) n’avait jamais dansé le tango. « Natalia enseigne pas à pas, ce qui donne l’impression de progresser, témoigne-t-il. Maintenant, je me sens plus à l’aise. Je me rappelle la première fois. Je ne menais jamais personne, j’étais comme un cheval sauvage. » Philipp avait déjà participé au projet en février 2016. Quand il a eu vent d’un autre projet par l’intermédiaire d’un ami, il a dit « Oh ! Je veux participer ! »
Avant de venir à Petropavlovka, une partie des participants a passé une semaine en Allemagne pour la première partie du projet. Dans le village de Faren (près de Hambourg), ils ont appris à faire le lien entre différentes disciplines, même si, le temps n’étant pas propice, l’escalade initialement prévue n’a finalement pas pu se faire. Eh oui, le tango a des points communs avec l’escalade ou l’acro-yoga. Dans les trois disciplines, le centre de gravité a une importance fondamentale. Dans un autre projet, Natalia a d’ailleurs travaillé avec les arts martiaux. Ce n’est pas une raison pour donner un crochet du droit à votre partenaire !
Pour beaucoup, le projet n’était qu’une occasion de découvrir le tango (ce qui est déjà beaucoup), pour d’autres, les cours leur apportent un plus dans leur parcours professionnel. C’est le cas des Françaises (mes chères compatriotes !), étudiantes en arts du spectacle et du cirque. Malaury confie que les cours lui ont apporté beaucoup. Elle y a non seulement appris les bases techniques du tango, qu’elle ne dansait pas avant, mais aussi le guidage (comment guider son partenaire), utile pour d’autres danses en couple.
Thank you for your blog, Guillaume Guigui
Und noch ein Blog von Fanny Vion, einer Teilnehmerin aus Frankreich, Toulouse
Siberian Journey
Imagine dancing tango, then imagine the white snow and the warmth of a Siberian community, whose values are based on nature and loving. Have a cup of tea with two generous spoons of time and you’ll maybe able to feel something close to our experience in Petropavlovka, in Siberia during the spring of 2017.
One morning (I don’t actually remember, maybe it was evening but who know) the rumors started about going to Siberia to continue the Project « Entre Deux », created by the tango teacher Natalia Bearzotti thanks to the OFAJ.
L’Organisation franco-allemande de la jeunesse (the french-german organisation for the youth) works on cultural youth exchange to promote peace between nations. One of their programmes consists in gathering together a French team, a German team and an other group of young people from another country to spend time together around animations such as outdoor activities, climbing, hiking, or Tango. The projects can take place in every of these three countries which take part in the programm. For us it was Germany, Russia and France.
Five monthes after our first journey in Fahren, Germany (at the Gruener Grasshalm house) in November 2016, we left Toulouse to go to Siberia.
Useless to tell you how doubtfull we were about getting through the paperwork, the visa procedure and managing to bring a French team in Russia but, in the last week of March 2017, we landed in a place called Moscow. Malaury, Camille, Lucia, Natalia and me, the 5 girls coming from France, standing outside the airport under a litlle rain with their big bagpacks, their ski jackets, their enthusiasm: so ready for Siberian winter, and Moscow.
We crossed the city, discovered the underground Moscow with its metro lines and its ocean of hurried people, got out, and found the Transiberian Train Station. There we met other participants from Ukraine and Russia, had a snack.. WE GOT IN THE TRANSIBERIAN TRAIN, which is kind of amazing when you think about it.
But anyway, travel had begun….
We lived 3 days in that train. Telling stories, stretching, doing yoga in the sunrise, singing by the window of the train, writing, cooking salad (although Juliana cooked most of the time), drinking tea when finally: there’s a 30 minutes break, everyone out !! and back in everyone ! I remember getting down around 4 am in the cold night and seeing a baboushka selling fish on the train station for the travellers. It felt like in a dream, this mix between too real, strange, beautiful and tought. That are the unexpected moments you can live if you ever take the transiberian train I guess. They were a lot of meetings with other travellers. Some made out of a deep look and few nice sentences, others lasting hours made out of drawing communication, and some lasting just enough time for an honest hug. At the end of the travel we had become friends with our team leaders, a good looking russian guy and a good looking russian girl who were probably as happy to meet us as to hug us goodbyes. Before to move on, I promised myself that I will give few weird advices that you want to have before getting on board : take some flip flop, a nailbrush, a facecloth with soap and a big cup.
ABAKAN – We finally got out of the train in the early morning with the stress of getting all our stuff packed mixed with the happiness to have spent 3 days in that awesome train.
The tiredness kept us calm and quiet, waiting for someone to pick us up to take us to Petropavlovka…
We drove among the snowy hills and snowy valley, crossing lakes and ice every now and then. 4 hours later we entered a village with beautiful wooden houses : Petropavlovka.
The next morning, tango project was on. We learn the basics of Tango with Natalia according to her very own way of teaching. Making us feel our roots to earth, our axe aiming for the sky and us dancing in between. During lesson, we met the people from Petropavlovka who were also taking part in the project. At noon, we would go eat at the German house the delicious meal that Juliana and others cooked, and around 2 p.m. we would go back to dance until 5 p.m.
At night, around a bon fire, Russian, French, and Spanish songs would rise to the starry sky. We went on this daily basics for a dozen of days.
We met Vica, a circus teacher with whom we shared experience during one of her class. We were also lucky to take part in a Latvian traditional dance lesson in Cheremchanka thanks to Marisse, an musical instrument maker and musician from Petropavlovka. It feels like rare and magical moments happened every single day overthere. One time we rode a horse in the village, then next day during lunch a 10 years old girl comes and starts singing opera. Few days after, Ivanka, Kalvis, Darina, Gueorg and Grisha are making a great concert. So unsual and beautiful moments when you let these things touch you. Like in the train, it felt like in a strange and beautiful dream sometimes.
But for me, the most magical moment of all was the milonga we set up in Cherremshanka. After the two little weeks of practicing tango, we (mostly Georg, Katia, and the rest of the peole speaking Russian) communicated about a dancing evening for all the village peopel with tango music and tango initiation. We all cooked something for that event (I made a carrot cake). We then dressed up and left for the bal… What a nice moment when we saw all the parents with their kids, teenagers, young adults, old people in their best outfits here, ready to learn tango. Natalia taught them for an hour or so and then the bal began. She made a magnificant tango performance with Lucia to be left in the russian memory i think and hope. Then the milanga evolved into a bal made of tango, latvian traditionnal dances and cumbia. Way to early we left this amazing night behind us and came back, with as many stars in our smile than in that clear sky that night.
Next day our dance adventure transformed into a hiking trip to a yourt walking above an ice lake. Of course there is this truck accident which is to be told everywhere… Let me tell you that one. In Siberia, Summer lasts 5 month, Winter as well and spring and fall last 1 month. We were in Spring. Meaning that all the snow was melting. So when we ask drivers to take us to the ice lake they said well, no, the roads are terrible, the melting snow make them unusable. Only Serguei (who needs to be honored for what follows) who told us : OK, but we’ll leave in the early morning, when snow will still be frozen from the cold night. And that’s what we did. Around 9 a.m. I was awaked by our bus falling on its side in the snow. What we haven't try to push it out, pull it out, sweep it out from this unfornate position. We would push all together on the order of Nikolai (Rass Rass Rasss = go go go) in the same time Serguei would turn on the car and try to accelerate. It didnt work. Georg had told us : adventure starts when the plan goes off. I guess we had entered the adventure space and time. After an hour of trying different strategies, Serguei enchained a tree and fixed it to a wheel. We push, the bus when out and we were back on the road. The rest of the way to the lake we would sing everytime the road would get muddy. And I guess it workes since we finally arrived on a beautiful frozen lake. With our nailed ski shoes and gamashkies (you want to take gamashkies if you go there) we crossed the lake and found a beautiful Mongol Yourt waiting for us. We started the fire, the dinner, played durak (the one russian game you’ll probably play, your gamashkies getting dry around the fire if you go there) and, as always, sing some more. At night, a snow storm covered everything with a thick withe coat. And in the morning we discovered what the Siberian Taiga was about. We went up the hill, cut some wood and continue living in this bubble away from our society.
We knew it, that was the begining of the end of our wonderfull Russian journey. I went back to Petro the next day to say goodbyes with Natalia, the other frenchies stayed to hike some more in the wilderness. Me and Natalia went on a skidoo above the lake and up the hill. Over there we waited the others sat on haystacks, drinking maté (the argentinian traditional infusion). We met that one siberian girl my age (18 at that time) speaking English, with a smile you can hardly forget as happy as she was to be able to speak English to French women lost on haystacks in her village. And then the road called us back, so we took it, all the way to Petropavloka. Last dances, last songs, first tears. The rest of the group joined the next day for the ultimate goodbye concert. The next morning we would take the bus to the trainstation to spend two more nights in the transiberian train to Krasnoyarsk. We lived in the city for one day and a half, and we visited, chill and go out at night in a very fancy milonga of urban Siberia. Nothing compared to the amount of sharing that we had in the milonga in Cherremshanka. Funny because it was with total tango begineers. It made me realise dance is about sharing space and time. That one present you consider the other as your life for 3 minutes and you listen to his or her body with all your energy doesn't require a good level, just the desire to share the other’s present for a song or three.
Next morning around 6 am : crying goodbyes, we get in the cab taking us where that story has started : to the Moscow airport. It was snowing I think, the driver listened to some rap song, it feels like he was saying : just an ordinary day for me…