13 WTHR - Indianapolis News |Rural town is the 'cradle of acrobatics'

Rural town is the 'cradle of acrobatics'

Scott Swan/Eyewitness News

Wuqiao, China - A small rural community four hours south of Beijing is known as the "cradle of acrobatics".

Acrobatics are woven into the fabric of Chinese culture, a tradition that dates back thousands of years. The acrobats live for the performance, spinning, balancing and soaring, talents that have taken them to the biggest stages in the world.

"The Wuqiao acrobatics have great importance to China, especially in the 1920's," a guide said through a translator.

The performances abroad offered a glimpse of acrobatics and a peek inside a culture unknown to many.

"It built a bridge to connect China to the whole world," the guide said.

Today, Wuqiao remains a showcase for China's best performers. Nearly 500,000 people come to Wuqiao Acrobatic World every year to be amused and amazed by a variety of skills. But the true heart of Wuqiao may be found here. It's a humble training ground that produces tomorrow's acrobatic stars.

More than 30 children attend the Wuqiao Acrobatics School. They can balance and bend like few people on earth. It's all the result of seven hours of training six days a week.

"They have three lessons," the guide said. "One is physical training, one is skill training and one is Chinese lesson training."

Families pay the equivalent of $1,000 a year so their children can attend the school. If they perfect their skills, experts say they can make as much as $1,400 a month with circus troupes throughout China.

Eyewitness News was given the rare opportunity to videotape the training, but was not allowed to talk to the children. "There are rules," we were told.

Some, like Wei Hong, who works at Purdue's Confucius Institute, worry about the young acrobats.

"I know they do give up a lot of education and we know education is the number one priority for Chinese parents," she said. "So I'm sure they sacrifice their education for their acrobatics, at least in the training school, when they perform. When they get out of training school, they face a big challenge of their life."

Adults in Wuqiao train the young acrobats in flexibility, strength and balance. Those skill sets may one day vault them to the biggest stage, where the world continues to be amazed.