The Chinese Acrobatic Theater - Revision history

Djando: /* Cross Pollination */

2023-05-23T20:06:32Z

‎Cross Pollination

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2021-10-07T20:40:19Z

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DjandoAdmin: /* The Show Of One Hundred Skills */

2021-08-20T20:48:15Z

‎The Show Of One Hundred Skills

DjandoAdmin: /* Acrobatic Arts In The People’s Republic Of China */

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‎Acrobatic Arts In The People’s Republic Of China

DjandoAdmin: /* The Show Of One Hundred Skills */

2021-08-20T19:41:54Z

‎The Show Of One Hundred Skills

DjandoAdmin: /* The Show Of One Hundred Skills */

2021-08-20T19:41:09Z

‎The Show Of One Hundred Skills

Djando at 18:35, 6 February 2021

2021-02-06T18:35:01Z

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2019-02-24T19:16:30Z

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2019-02-13T23:50:36Z

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2019-02-13T23:49:29Z

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 Although China started contacts with non-Asian countries more than two thousand years ago, foreign influences were absorbed and rendered with a Chinese flavor for the sole benefit of that evolution. In this peculiarity lies the most important difference between Chinese and Western cultural traditions: The latter is more organic and open to new components, whereas the Chinese tradition aims towards the perfection of already well-known elements, and the integration of new elements into the existing mold.
-The Chinese acrobatic theater followed that same development pattern. Whereas European and American circuses and circus performers were in a constant search for novelties and new techniques (driven in part by commercial needs), Chinese acrobats eventually restricted their repertoire to a set number of specialties (although it came to include over two hundred different specialties&mdash;which is quite a number in any respect), but they constantly improved their presentation and increased the level of difficulty of the tricks involved, in search of an elusive perfection.
+The Chinese acrobatic theater followed that same development pattern. Whereas European and American circuses and circus performers were in a constant search for novelties and new techniques (driven in part by commercial needs), Chinese acrobats eventually restricted their repertoire to a set number of specialties&mdash;although it came to include over two hundred different specialties, which is quite a number in any respect&mdash;but they constantly improved their presentation and increased the level of difficulty of the tricks involved, in search of an elusive perfection.
 European circus troupes made their first visits to China in the early nineteenth century. The [[The Tourniaire Family|Tourniaires]], [[Giuseppe Chiarini]], and the flamboyant [[Louis Soullier]] certainly made their mark on the Middle Kingdom, but their tours resulted principally in exporting Chinese acrobatic specialties to the West&mdash;such as perch pole balancing and plate spinning&mdash;rather than having any decisive influence on the Chinese acrobatic tradition. (Later, the acrobatic bicycle will be one of the rare Western additions to the traditional Chinese acrobatic repertoire.)

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 ==See Also==
-* History: [[Anhui Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Beijing Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Changchun Acrobatic Troupe]], [[China Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Flag Circus of China]], [[Dalian Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Flag Circus of China]], [[Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Inner Mongolia Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Tianjin Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Xinjiang Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Zhengzhou Acrobatic Troupe]].
+* History: [[Anhui Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Beijing Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Changchun Acrobatic Troupe]], [[China Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Flag Circus of China]], [[Dalian Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Flag Circus of China]], [[Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Inner Mongolia Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Tianjin Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Xinjiang Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Yinchuan Acrobatic Troupe]], [[Zhengzhou Acrobatic Troupe]].
 ==Image Gallery==

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 ===The Show Of One Hundred Skills===
-Historical records, carvings and mural paintings in tombs and grottoes (such as the brick carvings discovered in the Han Dynasty tomb of Chengdu, in the Szechuan province) date the origins of Chinese Acrobatics more than two thousands years ago, during the Warring States period. They developed mostly during the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.-230 A.D.) and reached a remarkable level of quality and refinement during the Western Han Dynasty, evolving from a simple exhibition of skills into a performing art, with a rich and eclectic repertoire including tumbling, balancing, plate spinning, pole balancing, rope dancing, etc. This acrobatic performance was known as ''The Show of One Hundred Skills''.
+Historical records, carvings and mural paintings in tombs and grottoes (such as the brick carvings discovered in the Han Dynasty tomb of Chengdu, in the Szechuan province) date the origins of Chinese Acrobatics more than two thousands years ago, during the Warring States period. They developed mostly during the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.-220 A.D.) and reached a remarkable level of quality and refinement during the Western Han Dynasty, evolving from a simple exhibition of skills into a performing art, with a rich and eclectic repertoire including tumbling, balancing, plate spinning, pole balancing, rope dancing, etc. This acrobatic performance was known as ''The Show of One Hundred Skills''.
 Many of the Chinese acrobatic acts have evolved from the Chinese people’s everyday life, notably among peasants. Acrobats exhibiting amazing skills of strength and agility first appeared in the annual harvest celebrations of the Han Dynasty. Chinese farmers and village craftsmen, who didn’t have much to do during the long winter months, decided to spend their idle time improving their societal positions by becoming acrobats, jugglers, rope dancers, and hand balancers.

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 In 1981, the People’s Republic of China sent [[Dai Wengxia]]’s extraordinary Glass Pagoda act, from the [[Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe]], to the [[Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain]] in Paris. It was the first time a Chinese act competed in an international circus festival, and Dai Wengxia won a Gold Medal&mdash;while another act from the Guangzhou troupe (a Bowl Pagoda duet) won a Silver Medal. And for their first appearance in a European circus festival, Chinese acrobats started an amazing winning streak that would not abate over the years.
-By then, Chinese acrobatic troupes had indeed resumed their international tours. Then, in 1984, the [[Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe]] shared the bill of [[The Knie Dynasty|Circus Knie]], in Switzerland, with the Knie family and such Western circus stars as [[Sabú Alegria]] and [[Kris Kremo]]. The following year, the [[Tianjin Acrobatic Troupe]] participated in the [[Cirque National Alexis Gruss|French National Circus]] production of ''Paris-Pékin'', along with the troupe of [[Alexis Gruss]], which formed the core of the Cirque National. In 1988, the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe was fully integrated in the [[Big Apple Circus]] production of ''The Big Apple Circus Meets The Monkey King''.
+By then, Chinese acrobatic troupes had indeed resumed their international tours. Then, in 1984, the [[Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe]] shared the bill of [[The Knie Dynasty|Circus Knie]], in Switzerland, with the Knie family and such Western circus stars as [[Sabú Alegria]] and [[Kris Kremo]]. The following year, the [[Tianjin Acrobatic Troupe]] participated in the [[Cirque National Alexis Gruss|French National Circus]] production of ''Paris-Pékin'', along with the troupe of [[Alexis Gruss]], which formed the core of the Cirque National. In 1988, the [[Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe]] was fully integrated in the [[Big Apple Circus]] production of ''The Big Apple Circus Meets The Monkey King''.
 ===The New Chinese Acrobatic Theater===

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 Historical records, carvings and mural paintings in tombs and grottoes (such as the brick carvings discovered in the Han Dynasty tomb of Chengdu, in the Szechuan province) date the origins of Chinese Acrobatics more than two thousands years ago, during the Warring States period. They developed mostly during the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.-230 A.D.) and reached a remarkable level of quality and refinement during the Western Han Dynasty, evolving from a simple exhibition of skills into a performing art, with a rich and eclectic repertoire including tumbling, balancing, plate spinning, pole balancing, rope dancing, etc. This acrobatic performance was known as ''The Show of One Hundred Skills''.
-Many of the Chinese acrobatic acts have evolved from the Chinese people’s everyday life, notably among Chinese peasants. Acrobats exhibiting amazing skills of strength and agility first appeared in the annual harvest celebrations of the Han Dynasty. Chinese farmers and village craftsmen, who didn’t have much to do during the long winter months, decided to spend their idle time improving their societal positions by becoming acrobats, jugglers, rope dancers, and hand balancers.
+Many of the Chinese acrobatic acts have evolved from the Chinese people’s everyday life, notably among peasants. Acrobats exhibiting amazing skills of strength and agility first appeared in the annual harvest celebrations of the Han Dynasty. Chinese farmers and village craftsmen, who didn’t have much to do during the long winter months, decided to spend their idle time improving their societal positions by becoming acrobats, jugglers, rope dancers, and hand balancers.
 They practiced this new art form with just anything they could find around their houses and farms&mdash;cups, saucers, plates, tables, chairs, pitchforks, and many other common objects. And of course their own bodies, with which they formed human columns and pyramids, also became part of their joyful attempts to make their show more attractive. Not to forget the Chinese sense of humor: Comedy was always part of these ancient shows.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:35, 6 February 2021
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−	[[File:Cyrk_Chinese_Show_Poster.jpeg\|right\|thumb\|~~250px~~\|Poster for a Chinese troupe in Poland (1964)]]At the dawn of the 21st century, Chinese acrobats have pushed the limits of acrobatic skills to an extraordinary level. If the Russians and other members of the former Soviet Union have been the most inventive and skilled circus artists of the twentieth century, the Chinese, who come from a different, albeit parallel tradition, are reigning today over the world of acrobatics—at least technically, if not always creatively.	+	[[File:Cyrk_Chinese_Show_Poster.jpeg\|right\|thumb\|300px\|Poster for a Chinese troupe in Poland (1964)]]At the dawn of the 21st century, Chinese acrobats have pushed the limits of acrobatic skills to an extraordinary level. If the Russians and other members of the former Soviet Union have been the most inventive and skilled circus artists of the twentieth century, the Chinese, who come from a different, albeit parallel tradition, are reigning today over the world of acrobatics—at least technically, if not always creatively.

	Chinese acrobats can be seen in many Western circus shows; the Chinese acrobatic theater where they come from, however, is often mistakenly called "Chinese circus" in the West. Although its artists perform acts of a similar genre and share with Western circus artists a similar background—that of the traveling fairground entertainers—their craft has evolved separately, with its own history and traditions.		Chinese acrobats can be seen in many Western circus shows; the Chinese acrobatic theater where they come from, however, is often mistakenly called "Chinese circus" in the West. Although its artists perform acts of a similar genre and share with Western circus artists a similar background—that of the traveling fairground entertainers—their craft has evolved separately, with its own history and traditions.