The next acrobatic stars? The children set to inherit a 2,000-year-old art

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Chinese acrobatics has a rich and vibrant history, but its future has looked uncertain in recent years with the number of troupes steadily falling. Can one set of young performers keep spinning and bring the ancient feats of agility to a new generation?

The Acrobatics Troupe of Anqing City in Anhui Province features 20 performers, but its future stars are the ones drawing all the attention. Seven children are training to take on the inheritance of Chinese acrobatics - a 2,000-year-old art that has been performed since the Han Dynasty (206BC – 220AD).

Most of the children were born of unprivileged families and sent to the troupe by their parents. These children have grown accustomed to arduous daily routines and have taken the troupe as their second home. Eight hours of training a day and the occasional public stunts – such as dragon dancing and aerial silk stunts - are regular parts of their childhoods.

A Le, one of the seven children, first set foot in the acrobatics ring at the age of seven. This year is his 10th at the troupe. In the first two years, A Le went through a series of exercises fundamental for an acrobatic performer. Leg presses, handstands, leg splits and somersaults dominated his days. He was paid 2,500 yuan (around 363 US dollars) a month as a reward.

“I am already used to life here and there is no difference from my home. After the daily exercise, I can relax and play some online games with my friends,” A Le told the China Foto Press (CFP) with a smile, although he admitted the first few years were sometimes an ordeal.

Others believe their bouncy characters as youngsters made it inevitable that they would excel in such an arena. Ting Ting, aged 14, said: “I kept moving when I was a child, and disliked to stay in class learning, so I was sent here.”

The children learn through repetition. To be proficient in any one stunt, they perform it hundreds or even thousands of times. The exercises can become tedious, so the troupe invites teachers to widen the children’s knowledge by instructing them in Chinese, math and English for two hours each night.

The kids with China’s acrobatic traditions in their hands take great pride in their skills. Click on the photos below to explore their acrobatic lives.

(Written by Sun Xiao)