Showcasing Chinese Culture Old and New Through Acrobatics
Formed in 1951, the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe ("SAT") became a limited company in 2009, affiliated to the Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group. With stunning acrobatics and a wide range of performances, it has become a highly reputed circus troupe.
Completed in 1999, Shanghai Circus World provides a stage for the SAT. For more than a decade, the troupe has produced more than ten well-known shows, such as A Tale of the East, Happy Circus, ERA-Intersection of Time, The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac, and The Flying Dragon. It has also created and updated more than 80 other acrobatic plays.
ERA-Intersection of Time, an original multimedia theatrical show, fuses the beauty of southern Chinese riverside townships with a dreamlike future world: the ancient sinan compass, blue and white pottery, shadow plays, water towns and other Chinese features are showcased throughout the performance, with Chinese folk music in perfect harmony with electronic instruments. The show brings the city's Haipai culture to the stage, marked by an acute sensitivity to foreign ideas and practices, making people think of Shanghai as a paradise of inclusivity and abundant opportunity. The troupe's incredible performance has attracted a continuous flow of international tourists, helping to promote the arts of China at home and abroad
A first-class acrobatic show can be enjoyed by different cultural groups, incorporating both Western and Chinese cultural values. The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac and The Flying Dragon, created in 2013 and 2015 respectively, are good examples of this. With a focus on Western choreography, the first one features the 12 Chinese animal signs, while the second one combines kung fu with acrobatic arts. The two shows have been staged over 100 times across Europe, attracting 350,000 viewers. On 13 November 2015, on the eve of The Flying Dragon's premiere in Europe, terror attacks hit Paris. One of the targets was only one district away from the theatre. But despite their challenges, the troupe made a successful debut. Le Parisien, a French daily newspaper, described the show like this: "Struck by the artists' performance, the audience livened up, bursting forth with waves of cheers. Today, acrobatics is not just a performance art, it's something truly miraculous. "
Picture: The Flying Dragon had a successful debut after the Paris terror attacks
Acrobatics is a universal form of art. The SAT has proved through practice that traditional Chinese culture can exert real influence on the international stage. Chinese acrobats are always keen to discover new performing styles to showcase the country's cultural traits, and acrobatics is gradually becoming a new symbol of Chinese culture in the international performing arts community, opening up a new space for cultural exchange.