ACROBATICS IN THE CLOUD

An acrobatic show without live audience was staged in Wuhan Acrobatics Theater on May 27, due to the need for epidemic prevention and control. It was the first online public performance this year for the renowned art troupe, and also a first-time tryout for the actors to perform live via "cloud theater".

With flashing light and reverberating music, one can catch the sight of nearly 2,600 red seats covered with cloth, and a thick layer of dust on them. However, the actors epitomize professionalism, through which they exude confidence and excellence.

The Wuhan Acrobatics Theater covers an area of more than 27,000 square meters. The actors of the Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe have been keeping regular training every day since they resumed work on April 8. During the rehearsal, all the actors wore masks to do their best to complete each move.

During their one-hour live broadcast on the online video platform Bilibili, they performed six of their gold medal programs, power, rolling circles, balancing on pipes, magic, balancing a stack of bowls on the head and silk stripes. Li Chu, an actor in the Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe, interspersed the show with the knowledge about the art of acrobatics, and the audiences expressed their admiration and encouragement online.

Balancing a stack of bowls on the head is an acrobatic show familiar to Chinese audiences. The two girls, dressed in red floral costumes, stepped on the middle of the stage. The 23-year-old actress Huang Xiaolin has several stacked bowls above her. With the support and assistance of Liu Shiyi, the "base", Huang completed six difficult moves.

Li responded to questions from the netizens. "This seemingly effortless performance actually embodies the hard work of actors and actresses for more than a decade," he says.

Huang and her partner Liu have been working together for more than eight years. During the coronavirus outbreak, they practiced at home almost every day, and encouraged each other through video. "The range of activities at home is limited, and you can only press your legs, stretch your muscles, and do some basic exercises," says Huang. She has gained five pounds during the lockdown.

"Wearing a mask takes more than double the usual body load in training," says Liu. The last act "one hand on top of the head" is the most difficult part, and fortunately, they performed excellently during the live broadcast that day.

It was usually between April and July the busiest performance season for Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe. The Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe, established in 1950, is a well-known domestic acrobatics performing group with strong technical strength. The biennial Wuhan International Acrobatic Festival has been held for 13 consecutive years. When the season comes, acrobats from all over the world come to Wuhan with carefully prepared programs.

Chen Jian, deputy head of the Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe, says the live broadcast is the first step in their transformation plan. Although the real-time viewership of 3,800 people is still far from his expectation, the team has planned to continuously broadcast live performances in the next two months with three shows every weekend.

"The particularity of appreciating the acrobatic art lies in the live experience of the explosive power of the actors and the jaw-dropping reaction from the audience. Now that the applause of the audience is expressed in the form of live comments on the internet, it might be an opportunity for the transformation of the Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe," says Chen. He believes even if the theater opens in real stage later, they will keep doing online and offline content simultaneously. The online venue has opened up a new channel for the public to appreciate classic works of art and brought new impetus to the acrobatic renaissance.

The local government also proposes to support the restoration and development of life service industries such as catering, shopping malls, culture, tourism and housekeeping.