The show is not acrobatic; it's not martial arts; it's not dance -- it's none of each but all of these and much more.

"T'ai Chi," a spectacular variety show co-produced by Shanghai Acrobatic Theater and China Performance Arts Agency (CPAA) will be staged in Beijing at the Poly Plaza for three consecutive evenings starting next Wednesday.

It has already been a huge hit in the Chinese performing arts circle since its debut in Shanghai last month.

The allure of the acrobatics has always been magical. But "T'ai Chi" has redefined the meaning of the word, taking it to the next level -- a performing art without boundaries; ballet without gravity.

Its intoxicating mixture of costume, music, stage design and showmanship dazzled the audiences in Shanghai.

They saw feats of incredible skill and imagination. They gasped at many of the gravity-defying stunts and applauded the superhuman displays of power and extraordinary grace.

Xinmin Evening News, the most popular newspaper in Shanghai, hailed it as "a perfect combination of several performing arts genres." Another local newspaper Jiefang Daily dubbed it "fashionable and beautiful."

Some foreign circus companies also showed interest in it. Henk van der Jeijden, a presenter from Holland, has signed a contract with CPAA for a six-month performance in Europe.

"We have got increasingly closer to our original intention in producing the show," said Wei Ming, deputy manager of CPAA Production Ltd. "Chinese acrobatics has long enjoyed a good reputation worldwide for their breathtaking skills, but difficult movements alone cannot attract today's audiences at home or abroad."

Li Xining, director of "T'ai Chi," shared Wei's view. "Many well-known foreign circus theaters employ Chinese acrobats very competitive in the international circus world for their high skills. Yet it is not the only reason these theaters' productions sell well.

"Their performances are not mere acrobatics but a variety show with fabulous choreography, amazing lighting, enchanting scenery and powerful music," explained Li, a veteran director and choreographer of acrobatic shows, who also has rich experience in cooperating with foreign circuses.

Therefore, after a successful cooperation with Li on "Shaolin Warriors," a kung fu show selling well in Canada and the United States, CPAA decided to produce a "new-wave" Chinese acrobatic show for a world tour early last year.

After a careful inspection tour around the country, CPAA finally set on Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe last November when Zhu Ziyi, vice-manager of CPAA, was invited to Shanghai to attend the 50th anniversary of the troupe's founding. Zhu was fascinated by their novel and challenging performances.

Pioneering spirit

Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe was the first among all kinds of Chinese performing arts ensembles to give commercial shows abroad, beginning in 1981.

"Now, after 20 years, acrobatics and the international market have changed a great deal," said Yu Yigang, president of the troupe. "We are still ambitious to perform abroad but our previous drawing card -- the difficult skills -- is no longer an advantage in the international market. So we felt glad and lucky to get the chance to cooperate with CPAA."

Though Chinese professionals engaged in acrobatics are trying to follow the world trend, they do not simply copy foreign circuses.

"We still bear in mind China's long history, fine culture and arts, and aim to make a fashionable show rich in Chinese flavour," said Li.

So the producers chose t'ai chi as the theme of the show and martial arts.

The Chinese characters for t'ai chi can be translated as "supreme ultimate," which is often associated with the Chinese concept of yin and yang, the notion that one can see a dynamic duality -- male/female, active/passive, dark/light, forceful/yielding...-- in all things.

Many of t'ai chi movements are originally derived from martial arts, although the movements are slow, soft and graceful, with smooth and even transitions between them.

The practical exercises of t'ai chi are also based on the wider philosophical context of Taoism. This is a reflective, mystical Chinese tradition first associated with the scholar and mystic Lao Tsu, an older contemporary of Confucius.

"These Chinese traditions and cultures related with t'ai chi are displayed in the show," said Li.

She designs the whole show as a "tunnel of time and space."

The performance starts with a little girl in contemporary costume led by two dancers -- a man in black and a woman in white -- into the tunnel where the brave performers with boundless energy show her, as well as the audience, more than 2,000 years of Chinese acrobatic traditions.

As the "thread actress," the little girl appears and performs now and then and comes back to reality at the end of the show.

Refined show

As a theatrical blend of acrobatics, kung fu and dance, every aspect of the performance has been designed to work together in an attempt to achieve perfect orchestration.

"In rehearsal, the devoted acrobats, kung fu performers and dancers all learned from each other and collaborated with each other to achieve a perfect show," said Li.

Besides, the costume, the music and the lighting all help to present a feast to audiences.

Xu Ming, the young fashion designer who graduated from Paris ESMOD fashion design school in 1999, designs the costumes for the two main dancers with sharp contrast between black and white, the two symbolic colours of t'ai chi.

The t'ai chi symbol consists of a circle with an S-shaped dividing line between white and black.

As for other performers, Xu designs colourful costumes said to be beautiful enough for a fashion show.

Jin Xugeng, 36, composed the music for the show. "It is world music with a traditional Chinese flavour," said Jin.

At the beginning, the enchanting melody of xun -- a traditional Chinese clay instrument -- beats in time with the hearts of the audiences, taking them on a one-of-a-kind emotional journey back to ancient days.

In the music, Jin also re-arranged some Chinese melodies familiar to foreigners, such as "Jasmine."

With all the attractive "make-up," acrobatics do not lose their focus during the show. More than a dozen acts are crammed into it. Many of the feats have scooped national and international awards.

All the spectacles possess a burning passion to challenge the limits of their skills and the expanse of audiences' imagination.

(China Daily May 30, 2002)