chinese acrobats

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Chinese Golden DragonAcrobatsEducation /c ommunity RElations

650 W alnut s t .c incinnati , oH 45202P HonE 513-977-4116F ax 513-977-4150

WWW .c incinnati a Rts .oRGEducation @ cincinnatiaRts .oRG

SchoolTime Performance Series 2007-08

S tudy Guide

Written by Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats

Additional information by Cal Performances SchoolTime staff (Laura Abrams, Nicole Anthony, and Wayne Huey)

Edited & Designed by Kathleen Riemenschneider

Classroom photo by Rich Sofranko


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Cincinnati Arts Association Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats

C hinese G olden d raGon a Crobats

s ome b aCkGround . . .In China, children training to be acrobats begin as young as four or ve years old. Speci c training

with an acrobat troupe may begin by the age of eight. Basic training balancing, tumbling, dancing,exibility and strength training is given in the rst two years. Students practice ve hours a day, six

days a week. The next three to ve years are spent training for speci c acts, with the average age of rst-time performers being 15-16 years old.

Coupled with an acrobats immense athletic strength and impeccable balance and timing is ChiKung the original philosophy of inner strength, which focuses the body and mind to work to perfect

harmony. Each acrobats physical and philosophical strength, when displayed together as a group,provides the structure to support magni cent choreographed programs of balancing, juggling, dance,comedy and magic. The ancient art of the acrobat continues to be supported by traditionally vibrantcolor, extraordinary grace and precision. Chinese acrobats are a combination of actor, athlete and artist,their love for their art unmistakable to worldwide audiences.

The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats easily outshine their competition, becoming the worldsleading Chinese acrobat troupe, and performing more than any other attraction of its type. Old andyoung alike are spellbound by their daring feats; colorful, hand-embroidered costumes; and their bodyand facial expressions which create immediate bonds with audiences.

C hinese a Crobats :W orld s F irst F olk a rt P erFormers

Chinese acrobatics continue to evolve. During the warring states period (770-476 BCE), Chineseacrobatics originated from the work, chores, battles, ceremonies, sacri cial rites and other routines of peoples daily lives.

By 589 AD, many acrobatic feats had been perfected and routines expanded, such as the humanpagoda, rope walking and the dancing horse. The best acrobats were registered as professionalperformers, many traveling far and wide with Hundred Entertainments, huge cultural exchangeprogram.

Following the collapse of the Tang Dynasty, Chinese society the arts and the HundredEntertainments included fell into a state of confusion. The exception was acrobatics, which continuedto thrive. Spinning tops and juggling with both hands and feet were added during this time to theacrobats repertoire.


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Cincinnati Arts Association Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats

Rulers of the Ming and Qing Dynasties considered acrobatics unre ned entertainment.Nevertheless, the people loved and supported the acrobats, whose performances were held most oftenat open-air festivals.

By 1949, this oldest folk art was evolving into a more formal, sophisticated performing art; onedesigned and choreographed for better audience viewing and appreciation of the increasingly complexacts. Performances were tailored to speci c venues requirements.

The founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1950 provided for the Ministry of Culture of thecentral Peoples Government to of cially support the acrobatic arts. They formed a troupe, based inBeijing, consisting of the most outstanding acrobats from major Chinese cities. Each acrobat performedhis or her own specialty. Out of this Beijing troupe evolved large professional troupes which todaynumber more than 250, and continue to ourish, traveling worldwide.

Within China, acrobats are revered as highly esteemed members of their ancient culture, receivingrespect similar to that bestowed on prima ballerinas and divas in the West.

s iGnature C hinese a CrobatiC a Cts Acrobatic acts are performed either solo or in groups. Group acts require team cooperation, trust and constant communication. The disadvantage of a group act is that when one performer becomesincapacitated or decides to leave the group act, it puts the other acrobats at risk in their careers. It oftenhappens that acrobats need to start over again.

Hoop d ivinG : This act is more than 2000-years-old. Also called Dashing through Narrows, it was onceknown as Swallow Play because the performers imitated the ying movements of swallows [birds]as they leapt nimbly through narrow rings.

u nicycle Bowl Flip : In a relatively new feat, an acrobat rides a very tall unicycle on a round table,kicking up bowls, kettles and spoons with perfect grace, and piling them on her head.

c HineSe v aSe : Acrobats playfully squeeze into tiny brightly colored vases as they perform trickyacrobaticssmiling all the while.

RollinG Balance c ontoRtioniSt : Graceful and beautiful bending and twisting into unbelievable knots,frequently while balancing precariously perched objects on every limb.

d ouBle p ole : A group of acrobats climb up and down thin poles demonstrating agility and strength to

execute a variety of dangerous movements. This act requires a tremendous amount of upper bodyand abdominal strength.


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Cincinnati Arts Association 4 Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats

c HineSe d iaBlo : Performed in China for more than 100years, two sticks of bamboo are connected withstring to spin an additional piece of wood (like a yo-yo) back and forth in a variety of timed movements.The Chinese Diablo makes a whistling sound when itspins.

S pinninG p lateS : Performers use numerous long, pencil-thin sticks to support spinning plates that look likelotus leaves facing the wind or colorful butter ies

ittering and dancing. This act is often combined withbalancing and tumbling, as when a performer spins 12china plates with both hands while in a head stand ona rubber ball!

c HaiR S tackinG HandStand : A collective act involvingtwo to seven acrobats and as many or more chairs.While on a pagoda or ladder of chairs, the performerspractice handstands and other stunts requiringtremendous arm strength, as well as superior balancing skill.

B icycle : Acrobats ride together on a single bicycle, takeit apart, turn it over a table and display a variety of postures, notably the beautiful tableau of a peacockfanning its feathers.

Foot J uGGlinG : Many different objects can be usedin juggling. Jar juggling demonstrates simplicity and steadiness. Originally, peasants used graincontainers to perform various feats in celebration of a bumper harvest. Later, jar tricks were adaptedby acrobats and became one of their most popular entertainments. Performers lie on a specialseat and juggle or catch objects with their feet. Long ago, in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), jugglersmanipulated bottles, plates and jars with their feet. Now performers toss tables, umbrellas, rugs andany number of household items.

l ion and d RaGon a ctS : This act comes from Chinese folk dance developed from Buddhist beliefs. Thelion represents the spirit of renewal and is revered for dispelling bad luck. Big Lion is played by twoacrobats, while Small Lion is played by one. The lion rolls and jumps, exhibiting attributes such asstrength, agility and tranquility. Accompanied by traditional percussion instruments, this act createsa jubilant and festive atmosphere.


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a CrobatiC t raininG and h andstandsThe rst two years of acrobatic training are the most important for aspiring acrobats. Acrobatic

students work daily on basic skills. The four core foundational skills for Chinese Acrobats are handstand,tumbling, exibility, and dance. Every student will usually have greater talent for one of the fours coreacrobatic skills. Among the four, handstand is the most important. Many of the signature acrobatic actshave some form of handstand in the performance. Master teachers have commented that, handstandtraining is to acrobats what studying the human body is to a medical student. It is the essence of Chinese acrobatics. An acrobat goes through progressive steps to learn basic to advanced handstands.Handstand training directly affects three areas of the body, shoulders, lower back, and wrists.

A weakness in any one of these three areas of the body will compromise the development of learning the handstand. In China, the basic handstand is learned by six to eight-years-old. This is rstdone against the wall. In three to six months of full time training, students start off with increments of one minute and build up to one half hour of wallhandstands. During this time, the three areas of thebody are getting stronger and stronger. Students willdevelop the ability to hold the free handstand shortlyafter this time.

Holding a still handstand is translated in Chineseas the Dead handstand. A good handstand isone that has good form and versatility. A versatilehandstand is a position from which the acrobat isable to execute many variations.

The handstand is the most disliked trainingaspect for the young students. When one is upside-down in a basic handstand, all of ones weight ison the wrist, shoulder and lower back, so there isnatural pressure to want to come down. There isabsolutely no way to cheat while in a handstand,because once you are upside-down, only your twohands are on the oor holding you up.

After the initial two-year training, only a fewacrobats will specialize in the handstand, However,handstand training is essential to all acrobatic work,due to the importance it has in strengthening thebody, mind and spirit of the acrobat.

V oCabularya cRoBat : a skilled performer of gymnastic

feats, such as walking on a tightrope or swinging on a trapeze

a Gility : the ability to move quickly and easily

a deptneSS : skillful performance or abilitywithout dif culty

c ontoRtioniStS : a exible performer ableto move muscles, limbs and joints intounusual positions

e quiliBRiSt : one who performs acts of balance

G ymnaSt : a person highly trained to displaystrength, balance and agility

RudimentaRy : most basic and simple

S omeRSault : a stunt in which the body rollsforward and backward in a complete circlewith the knees bent and the feet comingover the head

t Roupe : a company, band, or group of singers,actors, or other performers that travelstogether


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C hinaq ueStion : What do spaghetti, a wheelbarrow, a compass,

paper, gunpower and acrobatics have in common?

a nSweR : Believe it or not, the correct answer is notabsolutely nothing, but rather, China.

All the items above were in fact invented in China.For example, the rst recorded use of gunpowder by themilitary was during a period of Chinese history many,many years ago known as the Five Dynasties. They

simply set it on re and threw it, and the resulting eryexplosion was enough to send their enemies running theother direction.

And it was several thousand years before that, in aperiod known as the Qin Dynasty, that something we useevery day without thinking much about was rst invented:paper.

In fact, the Chinese take great pride in whatare known as the four inventionsthe compass,gunpowder, paper and printing. And well they shouldbe proud! These inventions transformed sea transport,

warfare and literacynot just in China but all over theworld.

If you think spaghetti is Italian, think again. Spaghettioriginated in China. And the next time you are in ahardware store and pass a wheelbarrow, remind yourself that it was invented in China, too.

Which leaves one last thing to talk aboutacrobatics. It was during the Han dynasty, more than2000 years ago, that the Chinese saw the rst acrobats, magicians and jugglers. It is not certain exactlyhow acrobatics came into existence, but their acts were so successful for the royalty that they weresoon performing at ceremonial carnivals and public theaters alike.

Meanwhile, Chinese farmers with relatively little to do over the long, non-productive winter decided

to spend their time improving their societal positions by becoming acrobats. They practiced the art formwith just about anything that wasnt nailed downcups, saucers, tables, chairs, plates on rods, eventheir own bodies, with which they formed human walls and pyramids.

China itself is the worlds oldest livingcivilization. Its written history goesback 3,500 years and they were the

rst people to develop the compass,gunpowder, paper, porcelain, and silkcloth.

China lies in eastern Asia. It is theworlds largest nation in populationand third largest in area. Only Russiaand Canada have more territory.

Acrobats rst developed in Chinamore than 2000 years ago and theChinese still are second to none inthis art form.For more than 2000 years Chinesevariety entertainments have beenextremely popular with Emperorsand with the public throughout China.Today, the world applauds thesebeautifully costumed performers asthey bring their ancient culture to us.

The tradition of excellence in feats of balance, juggling, magic, gymnasticsand acrobatics has been con nedmainly to a few families.


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Children learned the skills from their fathers and grandfathers before they were of school age.The tradition of Chinese acrobats is therefore one which has been passed down for centuries, for generations and generations.

Obviously, immense athletic ability and a keen sense of timing are vital to the acrobats, but so is theoriental philosophy, Chi Kung, which teaches one to use the mind an the body in perfect harmony witheach other.

While thorough knowledge of Chi Kung is not a pre-requisite for acrobats performing with modern-day circuses, they might be interested to know that their profession has its roots in a 2000-year-oldtradition that begin in China. Indeed, China is considered the to be the birthplace of the modern daycircus.

Obviously the Chinese acrobats you see in the performance you are attending are not 2000 yearsold, but the balanced, magical program theyll perform for you is much like acts rst put on for royaltymore than 2000 years ago.

G eoGraPhiCal F aCts about C hina

Name Zhong Guo, , the middle kingdomPopulation over 1 billion, 94% of the population is known as Han (ethnic Chinese), but there are

also 55 national minorities recognized.

Area the total area of China is 3,696,032 square mile (9,572,723 square kilometers). There are 21provinces and 5 autonomous regions.

Major Rivers The two major rivers in China are the Yellow River (Huang Ho) and the Yangtze River.Climate Chinas climate is primarily temperate, but it varies from bitterly cold in the north to tropical in

the south.Most Populous Cities Chinas two most populous cities are Beijing, the capital of China, and

Shanghai.

Language Mandarin is the of cial dialect of the country, although there are many dialects that varyfrom region to region.


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C hinese C reatiVe a rtsp oRcelain : The Chinese discovered the art of making ne porcelain, or china. Porcelain is a type of

pottery made of clay and other minerals. The secret mixture for porcelain produced pottery as thinas eggshells. Much of the pottery made from porcelain was highly admired by the West, and greatquantities were made and exported to Europe and the United States.

S ilk : The Chinese discovered how to make beautiful fabric from silk. This ne, light material is madefrom spinning bers produced from the eggs of the silkworm. The Chinese knew how to producesilk as early as 1500 BCE. This fabric was highly sought after and desired by the people of manycountries India, Persia and as far west as Rome during the time of Christ.

p aintinG and c alliGRapHy : Painting and calligraphy are considered the two greatest artistic achievements

of the Chinese. Interestingly, both art forms are created with the same instrument and mediumbrush and ink. The Chinese written language is made up of pictographs, pictures of things, andideographs, pictures of ideas, so it is tting that both paintings and the pictures, or Chinesecharacters, are created with the same brush and ink. Part of the technique of calligraphy is knowinghow to hold the brush. It is held rmly between the thumb and the index and middle ngers of your hand. The other tow ngers are held lightly behind the brush to keep it balanced. The brush isalways held completely vertical which allows for full use of its tip.

F aVorite s ubjeCts i n C hinese a rt BamBoo This is an emblem of strength and durability. The bamboo will bend with the wind, but does

not break easily. It is associated with spring because of its tender green leaves and new shoots.

l otuS This ower symbolizes purity and perfection. The large blossoms rise out of the mud in shallowwater but remain pure and beautiful. This ower is associated with summer when it is in full bloom.c HRySantHemum This is generally associated with retirement and a life of ease. Just as the owers

bloom in autumn, late in the year, so too, should a person enjoy the beauty of life in his or her autumn years.

p lum t Ree This represents strength and long life. The blossoms appear on lea ess and gnarled oldtrees in late winter. The plum tree is associated with winter.

p eacH This fruit is associated with long life. It is believed to be the elixir of life for the Chineseimmortals (gods). The god of longevity is often represented carrying a peach or coming out of apeach.

c Rane This bird is one of the most popular symbols of long life and is often placed with a pine tree.The pine tree is also a symbol of long life and strength since it remains green all year.

Bat The bat is the emblem of happiness and wealth. Bats in China are depicted in art as very colorfuland decorative creatures, looking more like butter ies than bats.

FiSH The sh represents wealth and abundance. It symbolizes abundance of food or abundance of children in a family.

1 Yuan, Juliana Y.. Our Global Village: China . St. Louis, Missouri: Milliken, 1992.Yuan, Juliana Y.. Our Global Village: China . St. Louis, Missouri: Milliken, 1992.


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F estiVal and C elebrationsc HinG m inG FeStival (S pRinG ): Chinese families traditionally remember their ancestors on this occasion in

spring when the air is fresh and the sky is clear and sunny. The words ching ming mean pure andbright. An elaborate picnic is brought to the family gravesite and before each dish is served, it isplaced for a moment on the altar stone of the chief ancestor.

d RaGon Boat FeStival (S ummeR ): This festival is celebrated on the fth day of the fth month. It isalso known as Poets Day in commemoration of the famous poet, Chu Yuan, who lived severalcenturies before Christ. It is a day of kite ying and watching dragon boat races. Dragon boats arewooden boats that are long and narrow with a carved dragonhead on the bow. Twenty oarsmenrow to the beat of a drummer in each boat. A special treat called jung is eaten during the week of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is made of sticky rice with a sweet bean or meat and vegetable lling,wrapped in taro leaves and held together with string, and steamed.

m oon FeStival (a utumn ): This celebration takes place on the fteenth day of the eighth moon, when themoon is at its fullest. The festivities take place outside at night so that everyone can admire the fulland bright moon. Children make or buy colorful paper lanterns in the shapes of animals, owersand fruits. Candles are placed inside the lanterns, and the children carry their lanterns on sticks andparade about. When darkness falls, the lanterns glow like little moon dangling from their hands. Richpastries with sweet llings such as lotus seed or red bean paste are called moon cakes and areenjoyed by everyone during this time of year. Next to the Chinese New Year, the Moon Festival is themost popular and widely celebrated Chinese Festivals. It brings the same excitement to the childrenthat Halloween does in the United States. This festival is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

c HineSe n ew y eaR (w inteR ): The Chinese New year is the most festive and joyous of all the celebrations.The New Year begins on the 20 th day of the rst moon, which may fall anywhere between Januaryand March. It provides a break from the cold and monotony of winter. In the old days, preparationbegan weeks in advance, and festivities lasted a full month after New Years Day from the newmoon to the full moon. The families would plan and prepare large meals for the celebration. Aboutten days before the New Year, families and businesses begin sweeping away the old year bycleaning out their houses and shops. Artists paint new poems on red paper for people to place intheir homes and shops. Large branches of plum blossoms are bought to decorate the homes muchlike Christmas trees in the West. On New Years Eve, family members gather together for a feastand to welcome in the new year. Firecrackers explode to frighten away evil spirits and to celebrate

joy and happiness. New Years Day is a time for remembering ancestors and for visiting closefriends and relatives. The children wait in anticipation to see who will stop by and bring them red

envelopes lled with good luck money. Loin dances are performed in the streets to bands of gongand drum players, accompanied by more explosions of recrackers. Loin dances are processionaldances in which a person parades underneath a handcrafted lion or dragonhead and other peopleoften trail behind with its body made of colorful streamers.

Yuan, Juliana Y.. Our Global Village: China . St. Louis, Missouri: Milliken, 1992.


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a CtiVities

P re -P erFormanCe a CtiVitiesl eaRn moRe aBout m aGic , a cRoBaticS , k unG Fu and d ance : Find out if any of the students in your class

practice any of the acrobatics feats you will see in the performance of the Chinese Acrobats. Havestudents who are involved in these activities do a demonstration/presentation for the rest of the class.

l eaRn aBout c Hina : Point out mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan on a map. You may wish toacquaint your students with Chinese culture through lms, books or discussions.

d iScuSS Family t RaditionS : Acquaint your students with the fact that many of the members of this andother Chinese acrobatic troupes are members of the same family. Discuss the reason that this mightbe so. Ask your students to describe what things they have learned from their parents that they nowdo as a family (skiing, painting, etc.). You may wish to have an open house where students and their families come to share their skills.

P ost -P erFormanCe a CtiVitiesS How a Film : Many lms are available that would provide an excellent follow-up to this performance.

One Hundred Entertainments , listed in the Film section, shows a Chinese acrobatics troupe inrehearsal and performance.

R ead BookS : There are many books pertaining to China. Ask students to read these books and reporton them to the class and/or set up a reading corner in your classroom using these books.

v iew c HineSe a Rt : To further your students knowledge of Chinese culture, travel to museums and viewtheir collection of Chinese ceramics, paintings and sculpture. (Note: The Taft Museum of Art hasan excellent collection of Chinese porcelain and the Cincinnati Art Museum recently redesigned its

Asian Galleries.)

S tudy c HineSe HiStoRy : Share the timeline in this packet with your students. Assign each student aspeci c dynasty to research and report on. As each student gives their report, other students cannote key information on a copy of the timeline.

d iScuSSion c aReeR p RepaRation : Ask your students to read how the members of this company train for their work. Then ask each student to interview a parent or friend to nd out how they trained for their occupationhow long they were in school, what their training involved, etc.

c Reate a new Feat : Have each student imagine a new and spectacular feat for the acrobats to perform. Ask them to write it down. Then ask them to give the description of their act to another student whowill make a sketch of the act. Or have your students create a new animal to take part in one of theacts. After drawing the animal, have each student give their drawing to another student who willwrite an act for the animal to do on stage.


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c Reate a c laSS m uRal : Most of the acts students have seen were once part of outdoor festivals inChina. Ask them to imagine the acts they saw on stage at an outdoor festival setting. They may wishto do some research on Chinese landscapes and festivals. Then ask them to design a mural whichwould depict all of the acts which might be seen at such a festival.

c ompaRe tHe p eRFoRmance to a c iRcuS : Discuss with your class the similarities of what they saw in thisperformance to what they have seen in a circus. How are they alike or different? Discuss examplesof circus acts which have their roots in Chinese acrobatic feats. You may also wish to focus onother parts of our culture and trace their roots in history and their spread through the world. Someexamples might be spices, horses and ballet. Just about anything in our daily lives has a history of development that can make the study of history more real for young people.

p lan y ouR o wn FeStival oR c aRnival : Survey the members of your class to nd out what some of their talents are. Plan your own festival which showcases the talents of your class. Rehearse the actsand invite other classes from your school to attend.

F ilmsOne Hundred Entertainments, 28 minutes, 1980 (Grades 6-12)

The Shensi Provincial Acrobatic Troupe is shown in rehearsal and performancea penetratingbehind-the-scenes look at contemporary Chinese artists at work. Acrobats are shown training,practicing and performing in the ancient capital city of Sian and in rural communes.

Its Always So in the World, 28 minutes, 1980 (Grades 6-12) This lm shows aspects of life in Chinas largest city, Shanghai, where parents, children andgrandparents live together. This lm gives a clear picture of contemporary life in Chinas greatestmetropolis.

Asia: An Introduction, 20 minutes, 1970 (Grades 4-12) The unique characteristics of each major region of Asia are portrayed in this lm. This lmprovides a comprehensive introduction to the diverse Asian continent.

Mind, Body and Spirit, 28 minutes, 1980 (Grades 6-12)

East and West, old and new come together in this portrait of Chinas health care system.Set in Kiangsu Providence, the lm begins with an explanation of traditional Chineseconcepts of harmony and balance and shows exercises designed to strengthen the mind,body and spirit against disease.


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