Acrobatics takes a leap

Breaking with convention

Established in 1997, the China Acrobatics Golden Chrysanthemum Awards are held every three years and are the country's highest professional awards for acrobatics.

"These acrobatic programs represent the highest level of Chinese acrobatics," says Yu Yigang, chairman of the China Acrobats Association.

"It is a form of entertainment that crosses borders. We have taken Chinese acrobatic troupes overseas to perform and compete, and they have received warm feedback and many awards," Yu says.

Chinese acrobatics has a history stretching back more than a thousand years. Like many traditional art forms, however, it has had to adapt as audiences gain access to an ever-growing range of contemporary entertainment.

That search for renewal was also evident in another award-winning production, Ode to Mountains and Rivers · Russian Swing, by the Henan Acrobatic Group and Puyang Acrobatic Art School.

When the five Russian swings begin to move, the performers have only seconds to make their choices.

They leap from one swinging platform to another, twisting through the air before landing on a narrow board held by their partners. Among the most demanding sequences are five backward somersaults and six forward tucked somersaults, with some performers reaching heights of 8 to 10 meters.

Behind the breathtaking movements lies a tradition deeply rooted in Puyang, a city in Henan known as an important center of Chinese acrobatics.

According to Li Weichao, head of the performance troupe of Henan Acrobatic Group, the northeastern village of Dongbeizhuang in Puyang is known as a "hometown of acrobatics". The local tradition dates back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, when villagers passed acrobatic skills down through generations.

Li grew up locally and began training before he was 9. He has spent 37 years in the profession, including three decades with the group. For him, the tradition is not simply part of history. He has lived through it — and now watches a new generation carry it forward.

The performers in Ode to Mountains and Rivers · Russian Swing are mostly between 18 and 20.

The production itself has evolved from earlier traditions. In the original version, the swings were fixed in place with screws. For the new production, the team has removed the fixed mechanisms and placed the swings on movable platforms, allowing them to change direction during the performance.

The original two swings were expanded into five — two on each side and one at the back — creating more possibilities for movement while significantly raising the technical difficulty.

The program also breaks with the traditional image of Russian swing, which has often been dominated by male performers. Three women were added to the cast, with two performing aerial somersaults.

Among them is Xu Duoduo, 17, who performs a triple backward somersault. At an earlier provincial competition, she performed the move with a safety rope. This time, the rope was removed.

"Sometimes you miss the board," Xu says. "You may not land where you are supposed to. You have to keep practicing with your partners and teachers, finding the right rhythm and feeling for your body, until you can complete the movement."

The physical cost can be high. Performers have suffered injuries during training, including twisted ankles, but Li says the young artists have continued despite the setbacks.

The show is also a tribute to the Chinese Air Force. Inspired by the aerial formations of the Bayi Aerobatic Team of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force, it traces the development of China's air force from its early aviation schools to today's modern aircraft, honoring those who have protected the country's skies.