Dance: Amazing acrobatics, bad fashion

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Speaking Chic recently headed out to a Chinese acrobatics show, expecting to be enthralled by the mind-numbing movements. And while the young Chinese acrobats from the China National Acrobatic Troupe performed well (though they weren’t flawless), we left the show with mixed reactions.

We liked some of the balancing, juggling, spinning, and even athletic acts the troupe did, but a couple of glaring mistakes left us feeling the show was far from a true glimpse of the Great Chinese Culture.

Firstly, the music was far from the sweet, melodious Chinese tunes that I’d have loved to hear. Instead the acts were performed to loud, throbbing techno-pop-electronica you hear in a bad night club. And the garish costumes just drew attention away from the talent on display. No flowing silks, none of the Chinese prints and embroidery patterns. There were sequins everywhere, bejewelled leotards and similar—the kind you see dancing starlets wear at a Bollywood awards night.

And here’s the fashion disaster of the evening—a Chinese teenage boy dressed head to toe in leather! The teenager juggled shimmering hats while sporting a leather jacket, tight leather shorts, and thigh-high leather boots, blingy all over. Eeeeeesh! Take a look:

  

The performance was organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China and India-China Chamber of Commerce & Industry, to mark the 60th anniversary of India-China “diplomatic relations” (the less said about that, the better—Speaking Chic does not discuss politics ;-)).

Meanwhile, check out some of the other body- and mind-bending acts below: straw hat juggling, skipping giant ropes as a pyramid, a rotating human pyramid, umbrella kicking while balancing on someone else’s feet and a really young contortionist. Some of them made me go Wowwwww!