On May 2nd,17 students from The Schools Network (SSAT) Confucius Classroom Finham Park School in Coventry attended a special Chinese state circus performance in the Curve Theatre, Leicester. The Hanban teacher, Liu Yang, Head of Languages Department, Mrs Kate Howarth and teachers Miss Emily Griffiths and Mr Lee Purcell accompanied the students.

The Chinese State Circus is a touring circus that aims to present Chinese Circus arts to European audiences. The theme of the performance is ��Yin and Yang" - the interaction of two energies in a dynamic system of balance. The show is based on Chinese acrobatic acts. All the performers are from Shandong and Jilin provinces. The show combines Kungfu martial arts from the Shaolin Temple, artists from the Peking Opera and other Chinese speciality acts. Their excellent performances were warmly welcomed and highly appreciated by the audience.

The performance began with happy Chinese folk music, and all of the audience clapped along with the rhythm. It created a great atmosphere. The incredible feats of Shaolin performers were really breathtaking at times; their power, strength and control impressed the audience throughout. The audience also enjoyed watching a three-tiered human pyramid jumping over a skipping rope and a stream of acrobats back-flipping through a tiny hoop. There was also the amazing legendary ��Bicycle Act' in which 10 talented acrobats balanced effortlessly on a moving bicycle. The whole show was narrated by one of the most famous characters in Chinese Folklore - the Monkey King.

After the 2 hour show, on the way back to school, the students were still excited and discussed the excellent show. One student said: " My hands were sore from clapping by the end of the show - but it was certainly worth it." Another said:" This was the most special show I have ever seen. It was really impressed me." Another said:" Though there were some little mistakes during the performance, the performers were able to correct them very quickly: we could learn from them."

As we all know, Chinese acrobatics is a popular form of art among the people. It has thousands of years of history with a distinct national style, evolving from the Chinese people's everyday life and work. It is a treasure of Chinese culture. Through this activity, the students learnt more about Chinese culture from Chinese acrobatics and the special art forms, contributing to their understanding and knowledge of China.