Part C: My Arts Inspirations

    

For my Arts Inspiration I chose Helena Colinas and Judith Carrasco, better known as Silver and Gold. They are a Spanish circus duo specializing in Aerial Hoop and Aerial Silks.

I have chosen Silver and Gold because they are my greatest inspiration and they truly transmit the passion they have for aerial skills and circus in general. 

For this part of my arts award I decided to interview them to find out more about them. I sent them a list of questions and they were kind enough to send me all their answers.

Here is the interview. I hope you enjoy learning about them and become inspired to look them up.

How long have you been practicing Aerial Hoop?

We both began in 2015 and both practiced at the same dance school but on different days. We both belonged to the same theatre company too, but we did not get to know each other until the following year when we were placed in the same circus class. There we discovered out love for aerial duos and a year later we decided to form Silver and Gold, our own artistic company.

How old were you when you began?

H: I was 18 when I started circus and aerials

J: I was 16.

Why did you choose the name Silver and Gold?

H: When I was younger I was a professional make-up artist working with actors. When you study make-up you learn about two harmonies that work together. The warm and cool. Warm harmonies would be those with dark eyes and darker skin (Judith) which is more similar to gold, whereas cool tones would be paler skin and lighter eyes (Helena) closer to Silver. 

Judith, however is blond, and I have darker hair, but these are opposite harmonies in themselves. We always have a part of each other in ourselves.

What did you study to get to where you are now?

J:  I studied language and arts at high school and then went on to study cultural communications at the University of Girona. 

H: I was home educated through my school years and then decided to study to become a make -up artist. I also studied theatre studies and dance and all this I have been able to apply to what we do now.

When it comes to circus we have been totally autodidact. We are our own trainers. We had a year of lessons and from then until now we have taught ourselves everything we know. Everything I studied before then is relevant to circus. It has helped me a lot to create every show using different disciplines. I always say circus is a mix of everything I enjoy in life!

Do you have an artistic background?

J: Not in my case, no.

H: My mum has always taught music and one of my older brothers is an actor.

What has been your most important show so far?

It’s hard to choose just one performance. The truth is that every show we have done has been special to us. Each show has been unique because every audience is different,and so is the energy and the reason we may be performing.

J:If I had to choose one I would say the show that impressed me most  was taking part in the Final Four 2023- a basketball match between Girona an Palencia . It was a very important sports event and we performed in front of 5,400 people

H: I agree with Judith but another show that comes to mind is when we performed at a small festival on a rainy day in Palafrugell . The show went alongside a poem which I had written and I was so overcome by emotion that I started crying on the last move. I think it was because I felt so proud of how far we had come and I felt so connected to the audience , who never stopped applauding, that I decided there and then that there was nowhere on Earth I’d rather have been.

If you could perform anywhere, where would it be?

J: Without a doubt, I’d chose a real big top circus tent. 

H: I have always wanted to take part in Eurovision, since I was a little gild. 

What plans have you got for the future?

We are very consistent and we choose to just enjoy the present. However we always focus on new challenges.  Our plan is to continue to enjoy circus and the magic it brings us. We want to create new aerial tricks and use different materials. We hope to be surrounded by people who we can learn from and we want to carry on teaching our students with the same passion and joy as we started off with. And we would like to continue participating in  International competitions, and above all never stop dreaming.

If you could give me any advice, what would it be?

J: I would tell you never to stop dreaming and try to make those dreams come true. We are much more capable than we think, and if we believe in ourselves and surround ourselves with the right people who will hold our hand we can accomplish whatever we set our mind to.

H: I would tell you nothing is impossible in this world. If you are passionate about what you do I am sure it will work out. Why? Because things not working out is just not an option!

Silver and Gold are a duo from a small town in Catalonia, Spain, but they have performed nationally and internationally. They inspire me because they have got to where they are with dedication and hard work and in a short time they seem to have accomplished what others take a lifetime to accomplish. This makes me want to work harder and learn from them. I strongly recommend going to one of their shows if you ever have the opportunity because it is a very cool to watch and I am sure they will leave you in awe.