Jumping for Joy Imperial Acrobats of China Bring Friendship, Majesty by Jessica Shyu Trained and supported by their country since childhood, Chinaís national acrobats are among the worldís best performersóand one of the best-kept secrets from the United States. Although some Las Vegas shows offer a glimpse into Chinese acrobatic talents, American audiences can now for the first time see one of the largest Chinese acrobat troupes in action as the Imperial Acrobats of China crosses the United States in a seven-city tour being dubbed the ìU.S.A. Friendship Tour,î which includes a stop in Washington, D.C. The idea of the tour was to highlight the cultural aspect of Chinaís 12,000-year-old history, said Imperial Acrobats of Chinaís producer Stephanie So, who added, ìThe performing arts is a great tool to enhance relationships because it builds on mutual understanding.î The universal appreciation of quality entertainment transcends borders and races, something the Imperial Acrobats of China specializes in, So said. Following up on 200 sold-out shows in Europe and comprising 66 performersóthe largest troupe to come out of Chinaóthe two-hour show features performers flying, twisting and handspringing their way into unimaginable postures. In ìChair Pyramid Sculpt,î for instance, 14 acrobats place a chair atop their heads and balance another person on top of it, with the performer on the bottom balancing a total of 2,000 pounds on his head. In ìTerracotta Soldiers,î an act based on Chinese history, a group of clay soldiers comes to life, tumbling and springing through the air to show their loyalty to the king for whom they died. Although such feats may seem reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil and other shows, So said those shows tend to have a ìvery Western flavor, and they try to present it as more of a mystery with face paintings and extremely designed uniforms.î The Imperial Acrobats of China are more simply designed but just as elaborately executed, So said. ìOur performance has a lot of joy to it, and because it has always originated from Asia, the music, the acts, the makeup are Chinese.î In ìLotus Blossom,î a more traditional Chinese piece, a group of ìfairiesî emerge and maneuver themselves with only their hands above the tiny space of a lotus blossom. Describing the ìexotic acrobaticsî as a type of ìextreme yoga,î So said the people resemble ìhuman sculptures.î But such talents do not come easily. Feng Gao, 20, has lived and trained with the acrobatic troupe since she was about 5 years old, when a family friend ìdiscoveredî her. ìHe saw me play and thought my body was small, rather delicate, and was appropriate for an acrobat,î the four-foot, eight-inch tall, 82-pound performer told The Washington Diplomat through Soís translation. Although she was fairly flexible at that point, Gao said the most important qualities she learned were strength and talent. Trainers taught Gao to ìcontrol her inner strength,î she said. ìJust knowing how to bend doesnít mean you know how to do all of the movements when youíre bending. Itís a strength movement.î Six months after joining the troupe, Gao had mastered enough skills to participate in her first formal performance at age 5. Today, the entire troupe includes about 187 members ranging from young children to adults over 40 years old. However, the youngest member in the U.S. tour is 15 years old because of problems obtaining work permits for the younger child performers. As a result, So said, the acts featured in the U.S. tour are ìmore mature.î Although the troupe did not encounter similar problems while touring in Europe and Asia, it had to hire a ìwell-known lawyerî in Washington, D.C., to untangle child labor laws for the 15-year-old performer, as well as to handle the complex visa paperwork necessary for entry into the United States. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the State Department has made changes to visa requisites, including increasing fees to $100 and requiring each performance traveler to schedule an in-person interview at the U.S. embassy. But to So, these hurdles were a small sacrifice to bring an elite group of athletes to the United States. In 1995, Gao won a national acrobatic championship in China when she executed ìthe newest and most difficult performanceî of seemingly molding herself into a lotus blossom, So said. For the U.S. tour, Gao will be the central lotus fairy who lifts herself out of the blossom using only one hand. Such performances are a reflection of ancient Chinese acts that date back 2,500 years. Originally, commoners performed acrobatic feats for entertainment, but the acts were so stunning that they were soon transferred to the imperial palaces. However, much has changed for todayís performances. ìWeíre not putting swords in our mouths or eating fireóthatís what was once performed, stunts that attracted lots of people,î So said. Cultural performances such as acrobatics have proven to be so popular and competitive in China that the government established various training programs years ago, including athletics, art, dance and theatrics. ìThe motive of Chinaís cultural policy is to try to satisfy the majority of Chinaís peopleís increasing demand of art and culture and to ensure people fully enjoy their cultural rights,î said Zhang Zhihon, first secretary for cultural affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Washington. After testing thousands of applicants, a select few are chosen to join the programs at a young age. From then on, the young performers, artists and athletes train full time for their destined career paths, living and learning on the training campuses until the day they retire. However, for many athletes, retirement comes earlier than expected. After 15 years in the troupe, Gao is one of the groupís oldest veterans. The strenuous practices and perilous acts cause many performers to suffer career-threatening injuries. ìOne [acrobat] who got injured actually went back to school for further education, and right now sheís studying at a university,î So said. ìThe government will take care of them, and a lot of [retirees] become trainers. There is so much demand in China to teach children different skills.î While the government emphasizes expertise in particular skills, it seems to neglect addressing experience in a wide range of skills. When asked what career she would like to pursue other than acrobatics, Gao could not answer, ìbecause if she were not discovered, she wouldnít have discovered her potential, but since she has, she has never thought about [another career],î So said. And for many people, Gao has reason enough to focus solely on acrobatics. As a member of the government-sponsored Imperial Acrobats of China, she is part of a privileged group whose training and education is fully supported by her country. ìDoing anything has its sacrifices,î Gao said, ìand with the troupe, there are very many benefits. I can travel to different countries and get to know different culturesósomething most people wouldnít be able to do.î The Imperial Acrobats of China performs at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., from Sept. 11 to 14. For tickets, please call TicketMaster at (202) 432-SEAT or visit www.ticketmaster.com. Jessica Shyu is an editorial intern for The Washington Diplomat.