Chinese Acrobatics

Tonight we went to a traditional Chinese acrobatic performance at the Chaoyang Theatre. We actually had a hard time getting a cab from the hotel, so we arrived late. This actually worked out well with Savannah's attention span. We think the usher also seated us in the wrong seats, but he put us front and center which also worked out well because Savannah could really see what was going on. As soon as we got to our seats she stood on my lap and started clapping. She stood there through the entire performance. There were girls juggling drums on their feet, a boy balancing bowls on his head while balancing on a see-saw, acrobatic tricks through different sized hoops and motorcycles driving in a small sphere. Acrobatics is one of China's oldest art forms, originating during the New Stone Age as part of the games and ceremonies used in sacrificial offerings to ancestors. People living in the Yellow River area created art forms similar to modern acrobatics as early as the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-221 BC).