The Chinese State Circus is a touring

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...

that presents Chinese circus arts to European audiences. The show is based on Chinese

acrobatic Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...

acts. All the performers come from China and are trained in the Chinese tradition of ''Ma Xi'', or hippodrama (horse theater). But no live animals are used in the Chinese State Circus shows. The show combines

kung fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

martial arts from the

Shaolin Temple Shaolin Monastery ( zh, labels=no, c=少林寺, p=shàolínsì), also known as Shaolin Temple, is a monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin kung fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak o ...

, artists from the

Peking Opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performance, mime, martial arts, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became ...

, and other Chinese specialty acts. Continuity is provided by the figure of the Monkey King who appears between acts. The show also includes a

lion dance Lion dance ( zh, s=舞狮, t=舞獅, p=wǔshī, c=, first=t) is a form of traditional dance in Culture of China, Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a Asiatic lion, lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good l ...

, plate spinners,

diabolo The diabolo ( ; commonly misspelled ''diablo'') is a juggling or circus skills, circus juggling prop, prop consisting of an axle () and two cone, cups (hourglass/egg timer shaped) or cylinder, discs derived from the Chinese yo-yo. This object i ...

s, aerial silks and an excerpt from the

Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...

. Acrobatics is a common art in China. It has a long history with a distinct national style, evolving from the Chinese people's everyday life and work. Historical records, ancient carvings, and decorative patterns on utensils show the origin of Chinese acrobatics more than two thousand years ago in the period of the Warring States. During the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC – 220 AD) acrobatic artists developed a wide repertoire, and acrobatics was thus called "the show of a hundred tricks". It reached a high level as a performing art by the Han dynasty. Acrobatics has played an important role in cultural exchanges between China and other nations. In the past 35 years, Chinese acrobatic troupes have toured more than 100 countries and regions throughout the world. Their excellent performances were warmly welcomed and highly appreciated by the people of various countries. The Chinese State Circus was started back in the 1990s after director Phillip Gandey witnessed a group of Chinese acrobats performing to great acclaim at the Monte Carlo Circus Festival. He was astounded at the quality, depth, and diversity of Chinese acrobatic troupes.

Tours

The circus has toured in the United Kingdom since 1992. The circus is owned by Gandey World Class Productions. The Chinese State Circus made history by being the first international entertainment Angola has hosted in over 40 years in December 2012 with their show ''Mulan''. In 2013 they toured their production ''Yin Yang'' extensively throughout the UK. In 2015, the Chinese State Circus was included in the program for the first ever Biennale Internationale des Arts du Cirque which is held in the south of France. The year 2016 saw the return of the Chinese State Circus with their newly devised production ''Dynasty''. The first leg of the tour premiered at the Nottingham Concert Hall followed by over 50 dates in various theaters across the UK. The theater tour was punctuated with some longer big top stands. 2017 - After the success of the previous year's tour, The Chinese State Circus toured the UK in a major big top Tour. The tour started in late March at Sandown Racecourse, Esher, and continued until late autumn.Visit Leeds UK, Chinese State Circus - Dynasty
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References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.chinesestatecircus.com/
Facebook page

Youtube page
Circuses Overseas Chinese organisations

Tours

See also

References

External links