Originally a group of street performers, Cirque du Soleil has joined the ranks of international performers with its creative, and dangerous acrobatic feats. Acrobats in glamorous costumes, and hanging by one foot, perform a feat of suspension high in the air, hanging only from a giant ring. Flying through the air and balancing the torso on only a rope makes the acrobat appear vulnerable to slipping at any second. Jumping rope has also become an acrobatic feat and is part of the Cirque du Soleil performance.
Acrobatic feats developed in China over 2,000 years ago when Chinese farmers found balancing easily available objects, such as chairs and buckets, a natural cure for the monotony of long winters. This pastime developed into a source of income for some Chinese people. In modern times, The Golden Dragon Acrobats perform worldwide, engaging their audiences with feats that still use traditional objects. Men and women both perform, spinning and tossing umbrellas with their feet and doing headstands on one another while balancing spinning plates on sticks. The "rolling balance" is a feat involving glasses balanced on the acrobat's hands and feet while she twists and turns her body.
Aerial Silk performances are growing in popularity. The feats require that artists use a variety of skills while climbing and performing on a strand of silk. Dance, martial arts and power lifting can all be useful skills for the acrobat who wants to learn aerial silk performing. Aerial Silk acrobats envelop themselves in the silk. With the silk twisted around their legs, they are suspended like trapeze artisst. A piece of silk may even hold more than one dancing acrobat, twirling, winding, climbing and suspended above the stage.
It's interesting what some tykes will do for candy, and how some parents will promote their own child's talents. "Candy Challenge," a video posted on the CBS News website, shows a 4-year-old girl and her 2-year-old brother who have proven that climbing a wall is no problem, if the goal is a piece of candy stuck in an air vent. Other CBS videos show young people who have also discovered that walls are useful for their acrobatic feats, such as flipping and climbing. Trampolines and high dives into water also make for a good flip in midair. For safety, young acrobats should remember to have their moms and dads supervise their wonderful feats of bravery.