Rob
Klovance
For mytelus.com
VANCOUVER - William Jans does for the travel slide show
what Michael Moore did for the documentary, transporting it
from dreary to dramatic through story, humour and stunning
images.
The Vancouver photographer/traveller whose
one-man show has sold out Vancouver's 850-seat Ridge Theatre
five straight times is coming to Edmonton this week. He's
there as a return performer at the Greater Edmonton Teachers'
Convention Association conference. But this time, he has also
booked the Royal Alberta Museum for two public shows, Solo in South America (March 4) and Trekking in Tibet, Lost in Laos (March 8).
If you’re wondering how it is that a one-man travel show
draws hundreds at $18 a ticket - available online - consider that this is not
your typical slide show, or your typical presenter. Jans is a
passionate adventure traveler who now employs video and sound
to complement his still images.
At the heart of this
guy’s success, however, is his ability to interact with people
wherever he travels – and his knack for bringing those stories
home.
"I'd like to think I'm not so much an observer
as participator, someone who wants to play along," says Jans.
"And I've found the people I've met in some really remote
places have really welcomed that.
"Some travel for
landmarks and vistas, and that's great. I travel for the
people I get to meet. … I think the presentations hopefully
echo that – people have told me they find it reassuring to see
that the people in the films or the stills are just as
agreeable and happy to be there as I am."
And man,
does Jans get around.
Hauling a 26-kilogram pack, Jans
spent two and a half months in 2004 travelling solo through
South America. It took him to A-list adventure travel spots
like the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu, as well as to the
Amazon and to the mines of Bolivia. 
It's a safe bet that many who
take in his South America show on March 4 will be back, four
days later, to explore the other side of the world. Jans'
March 8 show in Edmonton focuses on his trek to Laos, Southern
China and Tibet in 2001. Included in the show is one of his
most famous shots, of a girl tossing water at speeding scooter
riders in Northern Laos.
Jans doesn't know quite what
to expect from his Edmonton audiences – his is largely a
word-of-mouth following, and this is relatively new territory.
"In most places I'm dead proud that it's looked at as
a good evening's entertainment," he says. "If somebody's
looking to study up because they're planning a trip like that,
they'll get what they came for. And for those who never want
to go there and want to see what it's like, they'll get a
really good glimpse of that, too.
"The best thing I ever heard from somebody is that they'd
seen people from 8 to 80 in the audience, from punk rockers to
lawyers, all having a good time. We have more and more kids at
the shows in Vancouver – there's been just a parade of them."
Not yet sold on Jans and his shows? Consider that for his
Vancouver dates, he sometimes draws repeat visitors from more
than 100 kilometres away. And for a taste of just how good a
photographer he is – and for a sampling of his many rave
reviews – check out Jans' website at http://www.wrjphoto.com/.
Jans has not
booked any additional B.C. or Alberta dates yet, but he's
contemplating shows in Calgary, Kamloops, Penticton and
Nelson. Given that many shows sell out by word of mouth, it's
a good idea to register on his site for updates to his
schedule.
Note to the adventure traveller looking for the perfect
date "movie". This is it.
Enter to win a pair of free tickets
Jans is offering entry in a ticket draw for a free pair of
tickets to the March 4 Solo in South America show in Edmonton,
exclusive to those who read this story. Jot down the codeword
YAK and fill out the e-mailed entry form you'll find by
clicking on the link beneath the myTELUS logo at the bottom of
the Solo in South America reviews page of his website.
Rob Klovance is managing editor of myTELUS. He last saw
a Jans show - Trekking in Tibet - a few years ago in Whistler
and is kicking himself for missing out on Jans' most recent
Vancouver dates.
