THE GRAND FINALE
The finale of our Chinese adventure was indeed a grand one. That last night, we attended the Shanghai Ballet/Circus/Acrobat performance. It seemed to be called all of those things in different circles, and it was all of those things—synchronized choreography, colour and dazzling derring-do, and incredible feats of acrobatics and balance on a grand scale. It was nonstop thrilling. We held our breath many times because we feared the slightest stir might tip some delicate and dangerous equilibrium and bring it all crashing down. What a show!
How many poses can be performed while balancing whirling plates on long rods? Do those women contortionists have rubber spines? How much practice and discipline does it take to pull off these astounding acts? How many sprains and bruises and broken bones?
How long could these acrobats maintain those interminable handstands? How many chairs might that fellow have stacked beyond the 20 or so if he had not been constrained from further handstands atop his wavering structure by the stage height?
And what of the finale of this finale—16 motorcyclists whirling simultaneously within the confines of that wire ball? So brazenly dangerous in seeming disregard of lives and limbs, this feat of spectacular synchronization was accomplished without the expected pileup—this time. The cyclists must use every lucky number and symbol in the catalogue of Chinese superstitions to nightly pull off that act.
After the curtains went down, the performers lined the lobby to accept the gratitude of the departing audience. I was taken aback by the youthfulness of the troupe, who, for the most part, were adolescents!
The grand-scale; the colourfulness; the awesome talent; the unending surprises; the group discipline; the determination and the pride of the youthful performers, the traditional acts like the plate twirling mixed with thoroughly modern ones like the motorcyclists—somehow, the whole gaudy extravaganza that night was a reflection of the China that had revealed itself during my visit. Just like this Shanghai Ballet/Circus/Acrobat performance, China had delighted me, surprised me, impressed me, and taken away my breath. The China adventure was nonstop thrilling. What a show!
Because state supremacy has been ingrained in the culture of China throughout her misty history, the personal miseries of her citizenry have been drowned out by the brilliant lights of her majestic achievements. Such a culture remains an enigma to the Western world—a mystery. When China overwhelms the world center stage in the next few years, we shall hold our breaths because we shall fear the slightest stir that might tip some delicate and dangerous equilibrium and bring it all crashing down.