Precision in the balance

FOLLOWING A FEAST of two operas and a symphony concert from Italy, a taste of the East was next up last week for the audience at Bangkok’s 16th International Festival of Dance and Music. The matinee show by China National Acrobatic Troupe on Sunday was almost sold out and the auditorium a bustling powerhouse of energy thanks to the several young families in the crowd.
Established as the first national performing arts troupe by the Chinese central government in 1950, the Beijing-based troupe has garnered 58 gold medals from international circus festivals and competitions around the globe. Many of the award-winning acts were included in the troupe’s latest production “Cirque Eclipse”.
The term “cirque” is generally associated with contemporary circus performances, in which traditional circus skills are presented in an artistic manner through a story or theme. As a big fan of the genre, I was thrilled to see that the production also advertised itself as a combination of acrobatics, dance, and drama and went into the theatre with high expectations.
Those were quickly dashed. While the amazingly skilled performers deserved the loud applause they received throughout the show, I couldn’t help feeling that the production could have offered so much more. “Cirque Eclipse” didn’t quite make it as a true nouveau cirque. Dance and drama were there, the organisers didn’t lie, but they weren’t utilised to create an effective performance as a whole.
The opening act didn’t give a good first impression. The stage was filled with performers in glittering traditional Chinese costumes holding red lanterns but it was difficult to know what they were supposed to be doing. There was no theme or storyline to bind the acts together in a meaningful way, and much of the dance choreography was uninspiring. There were many instances when the music swelled in anticipation of drama but without appropriate accompanying movements.
In the ballet and hand-to-hand balancing act called “In the Moonlight”, for example, the technical prowess of the two performers was the most incredible I’ve ever seen, but the act was only gripping during the acrobatic moments. My jaw dropped as I watched the female performer balancing in arabesque, en pointe, on her partner’s shoulder without even the slightest quiver as he walked the entire length of the stage. However, as soon as she returned to the ground, the act became lacklustre. The choreography was jerky and included many awkward pauses in demi-plies.
The show went up a notch in the second half with faster-paced, gravity-challenging acts including the juggling of 9 balls while walking up and down the stairs, gymnastics on vertical poles, and balancing as a group in risky positions on moving bicycles. But for me the best part of the show was the more conventional circus act of jumping through hoops. The audience also got to see a world high-jump record at 3.1 metres that had their hearts pounding in unison with the beating of Chinese drums onstage.
The fact that a contemporary performance enthusiast like myself found the traditional circus acts more memorable confirms that the acrobatics of this troupe eclipsed the artistic conception of the show. In acts where physical skills were the main focus, they were beautifully executed. However, when dramatic elements were involved more significantly, they seemed to bring the acts down rather than enhance them.
Another problem with the show was that the structure was too formulaic. Almost every act started with a few characters dance-walking across the apron of the stage while the crew busied itself changing the set at the back a little too visibly. The end of many acts also involved two performers exiting the stage side-by-side in the same dance-walking moves.
The China National Acrobatic Troupe has great potential to produce a satisfying well-rounded sensory experience that engages more deeply with the audience than simply putting them on the edge of their seats. I look forward to the day the company’s artistry becomes one with their stunts.
 MORE AT
THE FEST
- Bangkok’s 16th International Festival of Music and Dance continues tomorrow with a swing jazz show by the Jive Aces from the UK. The show is at 7.30pm at the Thailand Cultural Centre.
- For more details, visit www.BangkokFestivals.com.