The Chinese Dragon Acrobats: A Fire-Breathing, Hair Raising Performance

Over nine hundred people gathered at Elms' College on Saturday night, February 7th, to see one of the most surprising and astounding performances ever held, giving a perfect closure for the celebration of the Chinese New Year. This phenomenal group-the Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats-were fresh, young performers from Heh Bay Providence, China who gave American friends a breathtaking night; one in which they will never forget.

The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats have been amazing audiences for over ten years with their remarkable performances throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Made up of nineteen performers, these graceful acrobatics stunned audiences with everyday household objects, such as plates, bowls, rugs, and glass cups. Their dynamic and multi-cultural productions feature included dazzling acrobatic displays, astounding feats of daring and balancing techniques, magic tricks, and comedy acts.

As a curious student, I had the honor to watch this spectacular performance and talk to their manager, Eric Huang, and some other performers. I interviewed Jiao Li, a girl who was the same age as me-seventeen-and also the youngest one in the troupe. She was really friendly and couldn't wait to tell me what she knew about acrobats.
In Wu Chiao County, in Heh Bay Providence, the place where she was born, she told me that that was where the "acrobats originated. It is renown as 'The Land of Acrobats'. Every year there's a competition held in Wu Chiao County. Different acrobatic groups from all over China come to this festival to watch and learn new skills from other groups' performances."

She began training with this group at the tender age of six, after being inspired by her uncle, who is the teacher of the performing arts boarding school.
"I had seen many of my uncle's performances and became intrigued by the tumbling and intricate feats," she stated. While in training, she lived with other students in the boarding school.

"In the first two years, we learned basic stunts such as balancing, tumbling, flexibility, and strength. We practiced six hours a day and six days a week. Then, we spent the next three to five years perfecting specific acts, such as juggling, dancing, comedy acts, and magic."

After many grueling years of practice, she was carefully selected by her manager for further training. "The training was extremely difficult and arduous. There are many hardships and sacrifices. I had to live away from my family and home. At first, this was really sad for me, but I got used to it after awhile. I'm so busy now I hardly have time to think about home!" She laughed jocularly.

At the age of nine, she was allowed by the teacher to choose a specific stunt that she would continue to perform and perfect for the rest of her life. "This was the most important decision in my life," she reminisced. "And I had to make my choice when I was nine years old. I chose to combine my interests of tumbling, flexibility, and balancing. It looked the most fun to me at that time, and it still is."

After years of rigorous training and traveling around, she told me "I was finally allowed to do my first performance at the age of sixteen." When asked about how she feels about her travels, she thought a moment before answering, "It's fun to travel to different countries; it's much better than staying in one place." The group travels around in their trailer and RV. With nineteen members in the group, Jiao Li exclaims, "This is like my extended family; we live and practice together everyday. Everyone gets along. We treat each other like brothers and sisters. This is a dangerous acting career. Many of us get injured and get broken bones, strained ankles, broken ribs, twist wrist easily. We need each other's support and coordinate."

Even though she is a professional and performs her stunts with ease and grace, she has caught a few bruises, too. "In November, I broke my wrist on stage. It was one of my most embarrassing and painful experiences on stage, but it hasn't stopped me from performing." Seeing her act, one would have never even known she had been hurt. She swiftly climbed atop four acrobats sitting on a single bicycle. After balancing perfectly, Jiao Li let out a big giggle as she grinned with happiness and fanned her hands out. "My favorite act is "The Tower of Chairs". Everyone gazes up at Ming Xu as he vigilantly places one chair on top of the other-all supported by four glass bottles. I even hold my breath!"

The audience "oohed" and "aahhed" as the chairs swayed and Ming Xu almost fell off the chairs. It was only a prank though; one that fooled the audience into screaming! Jiao Li's most exciting stunt is using her Chinese Yo-Yo and passing it as her partner caught it in midair. The act is encapsulating jumping off the bike, she quickly changed into a fluorescent green costume dotted with sparkling jewels and gathered with other performers to perform the Great Wall. Audiences held their breath as each performer, climbed over the other and linked arms and legs to form a strong, stable "human" Great Wall. As they rotated around the stage, they were received by a standing ovation that let to the end of the show. "That was one of the largest audiences I've ever performed for," she grinned happily, as the crowd gathered around her, begging for autographs.

After the performance, they packed and headed to for Virginia, where they will be performing for two days. While not performing or practicing, Jiao Li enjoys watching television or going shopping. While asked if she likes American food, she beamed, "At first I wasn't used to it. I really like it now though. Once in a while, I'll eat some American food. It's like a special treat. Most of the time, though, we cook our own homemade meals."

"You know," she added shyly, "we have to maintain our weight in order to perform."