Online Videos: Chinese Circus athletes

[vrsfanatic]

 

An interesting bit of artistry. I have heard some say it is attributed to Vaganova and others give Maestro Cecchetti credit or is it RAD? Let's hear what you think!

[Victoria Leigh]

Wow! Actually looks to me like incredibly well trained and talented Chinese (or Japanese?) dancers, choreographed and coached by Cirque du Soleil!

[LaMusicienne]

Not to sound like a know-it-all or anything, but they're Chinese This performace was part of a Chinese New Year festival, I believe, because I remember watching it once! Quite amazing! Actually, China - and I'm sure many other countries as well - have these crazy intense training for acrobatics, dance, and other folk arts. I remeber going to China two years ago and watching like a 7-year old (who knows what the actual age is, they always look freakishly young) do the most amazing feats of acrobatics and contortions! She threw her legs over her head, bent from the neck, and held herself up by biting into this mouthpiece held on a stick poking from the floor...

[jimpickles]

Yes, China doesnt learn from the Cirque du Soleil, rather its the other way round.

 

Fabulous artistic/acrobatic acts have been part of Chinese culture for a long time. But where did it come from? Obviously, in one way acrobatic acts will have been part of many cultures for a very long time, as long as some people were able to move and others wanted entertainment.

 

But I have hear it said - by a knowlegeable Russian - that the interest in contortion in Mongolia came from Russian (ie Soviet) influlence in the early 1920s, when the USSR went through a brief period of artistic liberalism, and its style was exported to some other countries as a political as well as artistic phenomenon. Perhaps there was an influence on China at the same time. Does anyone know?

 

Jim.

[lampwick]

OK, it was choppy on my internet connection, but I am SO GLAD I watched all the way through to the end. That arabesque on his shoulder!!!! WOW. Never seen that one before. I can't believe it's possible.

[Victoria Leigh]

It really is quite amazing, especially since she has a beautiful foot and also an arabesque line that is very classically trained.

[Mel Johnson]

HOWEVER, not to rain on anybody's parade, but linking to Youtube has been banned from our sister board for using footage which violates international copyrights. Not that the People's Republic of China recognizes anybody else's copyrights, but still....

[janninepointe]

She is sooo flexible and with such good balance! When she was doing the preparation on his shoulders how on earth did she manage that turn!!! Most people can't even turn and keep their balance in an arabesque that high for that long anyways! It was amazing how flowing everything look though! She is sooo strong too! Ah!

[vrsfanatic]

Sorry Major Johnson. Should I delete it?

[wannadance]

To my untrained eye, the performance was amazing.

[minty]

I saw something similar last year in Paris (France) under a big top ; it was by the "stars of the Pekin circus" ; only it was just a pas de deux the ballerina did a promenade on pointe on the head of her partner... ; the other numbers were circus ones...

good evening, but I caught a cold...it was freezing under the big top !

[Mel Johnson]

Sorry Major Johnson. Should I delete it?

 

No, no, not at all! Just something to be aware of in the future.

[Guest pink tights]

That was fascinating--can't wait to share w/ dd. That pointe on the shoulder and back--I'll bet that's uncomfortable for the man...

[cheetah]

Not to disagree too much - and certainly don't want to offend: I thought it was impressive - but I really didn't care for it. There were too many places where the acrobatics extored her body to such a degree that it seemed awkward and painful to watch - and really served no purpose in what I thought they were trying to convey through the "dance." Of course, I'm not a fan of Cirque du Soleil or rhythmic gymanstics for the same reason, either, though I do take DS so he can see what "else" is out there! Her lines were certainly beautiful, it just seemed to cheapen the training and skills and talent that she has to watch her dance on someone's head! Sorry, guess I'm a little to traditional, and I like to see dance tell a story. I'll send it to DS, though, to see what he has to say!

[ABT Wannabe]

I agree, it is a little extreme, however I think it is amazing! A lot of hard work must have gone into that...and I think it is almost unreal! Thanks for posting it!