The Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China

Meryl Cates | Sep 03, 2008 | 0

The Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China in "Swan Lake"

The traditions of dance have been pushed, pulled, and sometimes even torn in the name of innovation.  Dance has been brought from the stage to the streets, the rooftops, and the decorative facades of buildings all over the world.  So I think it's about time someone came up with a fresh idea to bring it to the next level. If you were thinking dancing on top of someone's head, you've got company.

After being shown a clip of the Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China, or more commonly tagged "The Chinese Circus Ballet", I was mostly shocked but a little delighted and mystified by the pas de deux being performed.  Just as soon as the female dancer positioned herself on top of the male dancer, she began to rise on pointe.  As if this wasn't enough to draw out wild applause from the audience, she then executed beautiful ballet positions atop his head, which would be revered as great technique on the ground never mind on such a small platform.  Like watching magic, I admit that I spent a better part of the clip wondering if this was real.  After resigning myself to the fact that it was indeed really happening I began to think where a company like this might fit into the dance world.

The Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China is based in southern China, but travels internationally to showcase their unusual skills to packed audiences. The fusion of contortionist-like acrobatics and dance has made them an increasingly acknowledged company. As this is no surprise, most of the dancers hail from a background in gymnastics or sports.   In addition to this pas de deux routine, they recently performed their version of "Swan Lake" at the Royal Opera House, complete with unusual pointe work and quirky alterations to the classic swan acts. In 2006 their "Swan Lake" was performed in China for an audience that included President Bush and Hu Jintau, China's President.  In a grey area somewhere between well trained artists and somewhat comedic, audiences seem smitten with the troupe, while many critics can hardly hide their charmed smiles behind words like "bizarre" or "bonkers".

A few weeks ago I wrote of my disdain towards the trend of dance "tricks".  I mentioned that they should not be applauded and certainly do not add any artistry to that which is considered an art. A dancer who achieves something technically difficult while dancing, especially on stage, does not fall under the blanket of tricks because it supplements the overall performance; but by choreographing a string of steps to simply achieve applause we move a little further away from dance as an art form.  These dance acrobatics are exceedingly difficult, edgy, and exciting, but at the end of the day it is mostly just pose after compellingly daring pose. While the performer's dance training is undeniable, the overall spectacular leans itself more towards acrobatics than dance, which does hold an important place in the entertainment culture.

So with that aside, to all those who like to applaud tricks and daring feats, and even to those who usually don't, you'll find its uniqueness worth your while, so clap on.

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Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, Broadway, Ballroom, Enthusiast, Competitions & Conventions, Performance, Chinese Circus Ballet, The Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China (all tags)