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Chapter 6 - Catching On

Chinese Acrobatics from China to the West in the Twenty-First Century

from Part I - Transnational Geographies of the Modern Circus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2021

Gillian Arrighi
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle, New South Wales
Jim Davis
Affiliation:
University of Warwick
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Summary

Chinese acrobatic acts and their variants are pervasive in Western contemporary new circus shows around the world. These acts represent the multiple layers of training and performance of Chinese circus skills historically in China and their transference to the West since the Nanjing Project of 1983–4, an event that injected Chinese acrobatic training and acts into the repertoires of Australian new circus and then American new circus. Highly skilled Chinese acrobats and acts were also transplanted from China directly into circus in the West to great acclaim for their precision, acting as unofficial cultural envoys from Communist China. Political and financial will has shaped the evolution of Chinese acrobatic acts for centuries, as well as their introduction to the West, where, in true circus style, an old act is made new again by seeking new audiences and presenting the act in a contemporary form that also explores contemporary values of gender, sexuality, and identity. This chapter analyses specific Chinese acrobatic acts performed in circus in the West between 2011 and 2018, their historical origins in China, and how Chinese aesthetics and political boundaries have dissolved into the hybrid intercultural performance culture of the West in the twenty-first century.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

Further Reading

Farrell, Rosemary. ‘Foot Fascination in Performance in China and Australia in the Nineteenth-Century.’ Early Popular Visual Culture 7, no. 1 (April 2009): 1927.Google Scholar
‘Sweat from the Bones: Politics, Chinese Acrobatics and Australia.’ PhD diss., La Trobe University, Melbourne, 2007. Accessed 31 January 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/569140.Google Scholar
Kavanagh, Katharine. ‘Reversible by 7 Fingers.’ The Circus Diaries, 21 August 2018. Accessed 15 April 2019. www.thecircusdiaries.com/2018/08/21/reversible-by-7-fingers.Google Scholar
Kingsbury, Bob. ‘One Hundred Entertainments.’ The Human Face of China. Lindfield NSW: Film Australia, 1979.Google Scholar
Qifeng, Fu, and Xining, Li. A Primer of Chinese Acrobatics. Beijing: Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, 2003.Google Scholar
Zhang, Tracy Ying. ‘Bending the Body for China: The Uses of Acrobatics in Sino-US Diplomacy during the Cold War.’ International Journal of Cultural Policy 22, no. 2 (2016): 123–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
‘7 Fingers-Duo Diabolo.’ Published online 18 January 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdL9k8ugWeU.Google Scholar
Alexyurch. ‘Cirque du Soleil Quidam Chinese girls.’ Published online 14 October 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tam223kAsLg.Google Scholar
Alyaz. ‘The Great Chinese Circus – Swan Lake.’ Published online 13 June 2008. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sMc-p19FIk.Google Scholar
Bad1dobby. ‘Fu Xiuyu, Monte Carlo Circus Festival 1987.’ Published online 25 July 2015. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoxfv4dT40Q.Google Scholar
Carnival Cinema. ‘Circus Oz promo of Model Citizen.’ Published online 16 June 2017. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqB0pYeCPpQ.Google Scholar
‘Cirque du Soleil Luzia 2017 (Tiger Show).’ Published online 1 April 2017. www.youtube.com/watch?v=grxCsFBU0jA.Google Scholar
Exclusive Adventures. ‘More Ants!!! Cirque du Soleil OVO.’ Published online 29 April 2012. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq3pT5xU0js.Google Scholar
MassLive. ‘Watch the contortionist for Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus.’ 21 April 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1crYxrpTfk.Google Scholar
Melendrex, Sonny. ‘Swan Lake-The Great Chinese Circus-Original.’ Published online 13 September 2010. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHM7AvhK82E.Google Scholar
Recirquel Company. ‘Recirquel – My Land/Teaser Trailer (2018).’ Published online 14 July 2018. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt7VWkbcbR4.Google Scholar
Seamon, Danielle. ‘Cirque du Soleil to Evolve on Columbus Stage with Totem.’ Published online 18 August 2013. www.thelantern.com/2013/08/cirque-du-soleil-to-evolve-on-columbus-stage-with-totem.Google Scholar
Sebastien, Patrick. ‘Stars of Beijing’s Circus, Acrobatic Act, the World Greatest Cabaret.’ Published online 17 May 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYiEBFh0_OU.Google Scholar
‘Stars of Beijing’s Circus – Bowls Unicycle Act – The World’s Greatest Cabaret.’ Published online 11 March 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYElDkpDSQ.Google Scholar
‘7 Fingers-Duo Diabolo.’ Published online 18 January 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdL9k8ugWeU.Google Scholar
Alexyurch. ‘Cirque du Soleil Quidam Chinese girls.’ Published online 14 October 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tam223kAsLg.Google Scholar
Alyaz. ‘The Great Chinese Circus – Swan Lake.’ Published online 13 June 2008. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sMc-p19FIk.Google Scholar
Bad1dobby. ‘Fu Xiuyu, Monte Carlo Circus Festival 1987.’ Published online 25 July 2015. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoxfv4dT40Q.Google Scholar
Carnival Cinema. ‘Circus Oz promo of Model Citizen.’ Published online 16 June 2017. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqB0pYeCPpQ.Google Scholar
‘Cirque du Soleil Luzia 2017 (Tiger Show).’ Published online 1 April 2017. www.youtube.com/watch?v=grxCsFBU0jA.Google Scholar
Exclusive Adventures. ‘More Ants!!! Cirque du Soleil OVO.’ Published online 29 April 2012. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq3pT5xU0js.Google Scholar
MassLive. ‘Watch the contortionist for Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus.’ 21 April 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1crYxrpTfk.Google Scholar
Melendrex, Sonny. ‘Swan Lake-The Great Chinese Circus-Original.’ Published online 13 September 2010. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHM7AvhK82E.Google Scholar
Recirquel Company. ‘Recirquel – My Land/Teaser Trailer (2018).’ Published online 14 July 2018. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt7VWkbcbR4.Google Scholar
Seamon, Danielle. ‘Cirque du Soleil to Evolve on Columbus Stage with Totem.’ Published online 18 August 2013. www.thelantern.com/2013/08/cirque-du-soleil-to-evolve-on-columbus-stage-with-totem.Google Scholar
Sebastien, Patrick. ‘Stars of Beijing’s Circus, Acrobatic Act, the World Greatest Cabaret.’ Published online 17 May 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYiEBFh0_OU.Google Scholar
‘Stars of Beijing’s Circus – Bowls Unicycle Act – The World’s Greatest Cabaret.’ Published online 11 March 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYElDkpDSQ.Google Scholar

Online Videos

‘7 Fingers-Duo Diabolo.’ Published online 18 January 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdL9k8ugWeU.Google Scholar
Alexyurch. ‘Cirque du Soleil Quidam Chinese girls.’ Published online 14 October 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=tam223kAsLg.Google Scholar
Alyaz. ‘The Great Chinese Circus – Swan Lake.’ Published online 13 June 2008. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sMc-p19FIk.Google Scholar
Bad1dobby. ‘Fu Xiuyu, Monte Carlo Circus Festival 1987.’ Published online 25 July 2015. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uoxfv4dT40Q.Google Scholar
Carnival Cinema. ‘Circus Oz promo of Model Citizen.’ Published online 16 June 2017. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqB0pYeCPpQ.Google Scholar
‘Cirque du Soleil Luzia 2017 (Tiger Show).’ Published online 1 April 2017. www.youtube.com/watch?v=grxCsFBU0jA.Google Scholar
Exclusive Adventures. ‘More Ants!!! Cirque du Soleil OVO.’ Published online 29 April 2012. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq3pT5xU0js.Google Scholar
MassLive. ‘Watch the contortionist for Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus.’ 21 April 2016. www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1crYxrpTfk.Google Scholar
Melendrex, Sonny. ‘Swan Lake-The Great Chinese Circus-Original.’ Published online 13 September 2010. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHM7AvhK82E.Google Scholar
Recirquel Company. ‘Recirquel – My Land/Teaser Trailer (2018).’ Published online 14 July 2018. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt7VWkbcbR4.Google Scholar
Seamon, Danielle. ‘Cirque du Soleil to Evolve on Columbus Stage with Totem.’ Published online 18 August 2013. www.thelantern.com/2013/08/cirque-du-soleil-to-evolve-on-columbus-stage-with-totem.Google Scholar
Sebastien, Patrick. ‘Stars of Beijing’s Circus, Acrobatic Act, the World Greatest Cabaret.’ Published online 17 May 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYiEBFh0_OU.Google Scholar
‘Stars of Beijing’s Circus – Bowls Unicycle Act – The World’s Greatest Cabaret.’ Published online 11 March 2011. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeYElDkpDSQ.Google Scholar

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  • Catching On
  • Edited by Gillian Arrighi, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Jim Davis, University of Warwick
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to the Circus
  • Online publication: 22 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108750127.007
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Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Catching On
  • Edited by Gillian Arrighi, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Jim Davis, University of Warwick
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to the Circus
  • Online publication: 22 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108750127.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Catching On
  • Edited by Gillian Arrighi, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Jim Davis, University of Warwick
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to the Circus
  • Online publication: 22 June 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108750127.007
Available formats
×