Parkour Circle
- Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Website: www.parkourcircle.org
- Social media: Instagram · Facebook · Twitter
- Established: 2015
- Original founders: Ashwath Raman, Baskaran Subramani, Kavitha Krupanidhi, Lakshmi Ashok, Prabu Mani, Susheel Chandradhas, Tariq, Uma Naren, Varsha Venugopal
- Focus: parkour, freerunning, dance, theatre, martial arts
Key People
Chennai’s most cross-disciplinary parkour organisation, founded with the belief that parkour’s true value lies in connection with other disciplines: collaborating with theatre, dance, martial arts, film, and special needs education. Has worked alongside Malik Diouf (one of the original Yamakasi). Works extensively with schools; parkour is available as an elective in some Tamil Nadu institutions.
Indian Steam
For Indian Steam, Parkour Circle partnered with Prodigal UPG, the UK-based theatre company that pioneered Performance Parkour (2PK). The UPG Team first visited Chennai on a reconnaissance trip in January 2016; the visit was covered at the time by The Hindu Metro Plus and in a Chennai Live 104.8 FM interview with both groups.
In 2016–17 the two companies co-produced Indian Steam as part of the UK–India Year of Culture, supported by Arts Council England and the British Council. The production toured Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and the UK, reaching 4,500+ audience members and 900+ workshop participants:
- Coonoor. Residency at St Anthony’s School, 17–20 January 2017, with a performance on the 20th.
- Coimbatore. Residency at Suburban School, 21–24 January, with a performance on the 24th.
- Puducherry. Workshop at the Sharanam Centre and a performance for Satya Special School, 28–31 January, with the performance on the 31st (previewed in The Times of India).
- Auroville. Adishakti Theatre’s “Remembering Veenapani” Festival, 31 January–3 February, with performances on 3 February to open the festival.
- Chennai. YMCA College of Physical Education, Anna Salai, 10 February; and the Rail Museum at ICF, Perambur, 11 February (covered by The Hindu Metro Plus).
- Dewsbury, UK. Dewsbury Market, 5 August 2017 (previewed in the Huddersfield Daily Examiner).
- Nottingham, UK. Lakeside Arts, 20 October 2017, the final stop of the tour.
Baskaran Subramani, Kishor Muthumani (a member at the time), Prabu Mani, and Susheel Chandradhas travelled together throughout the tour, in India and the UK. Satakshi Nandy was also part of some of the performances in India.