Chinese acrobatics has gained increasing appeal since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Chinese acrobats have not only won prizes for China in international competition over the years, but have also raised their technical levels to new levels. For example,Plate Spinningis a traditional acrobatic item that dates back to the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) more than 2,000 years ago. Performers traditionally manipulated one plate with a long stick, with no changes in the routine for centuries.
In the 1950s, actors from the acrobatic troupe under the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army introduced a new routine in which they spun 10 plates with both hands while accomplishing various stunning body movements. Their superb performances amazed acrobatic circles both at home and abroad, and in turn won numerous top prizes. Generally speaking, people at that time believed the performance genre had reached its limits of development. However, in the 1980s,Plate Spinningperformed by the Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe broke new ground when an actress spun 12 plates with both hands while doing a headstand on a rubber ball. In other routines, a young performer spun plates with her hands while doing a headstand on the head of another female performer. She then turned her body 180 degrees using her head as the fulcrum and ended by dismounting with a backward somersault. She also did a one-handed handstand on the head of the other actress while spinning plates with the other hand.
However, the most stunning performance ofPlate Spinningfeatured one female performer supporting a platform in her teeth while spinning 12 plates. Another performer standing on the platform spun three plates with each hand, bent her body backwards and used her teeth to grab a bouquet from a steel frame placed below the platform. The precipitous and fantastic performance attracted the admiration of audiences. Performances usually ended with the actress tossing 12 spinning plates into the air and letting them crash to the stage to prove they were genuine porcelain plates. Artists from the Zhejiang Acrobatic Troupe performedPlate Spinningroutine and won the President of the Republic of France Award, the top prize at the Sixth FestivalMondial du Cirque de Demainin Paris in July 1983.
The Dalian and Chinese Acrobatic Troupes improved the technical aspects of the routine and added new stunts. In a soiree known asthe Charm of Chinese Culture, the Chinese Acrobatic Troupe presented a program of new acrobatic acts and dances. In a performance which reflected acrobatics during the golden age of the Tang Dynasty, one actress performed the feat of balancing a long pole on her head while several other performers spun plates during aerial stunts. The elegant, difficult and breathtaking performance left an indelible impression on the audience.
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