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The history of Chinese acrobatics is often said to date back at least two thousand , <br /> §- years.Ancient texts document considerable activity during the Han Dynasty (221 <br /> eg <br /> " BC'=220 AD). Many of the props that were used by acrobats'centuries ago were <br /> common everyday items such as chairs, tables, bowls,jars or urns, and plates. <br /> These same objects are still in use today along with more modern inventions such <br /> as the bicycle, ' <br /> a <br /> All acrobats in the Chinese system of training must first become proficient in the <br /> basics of tumbling, hand balancing and dance. Together these three disciplines are <br /> called "ji ben gong" which loosely translated means "work coming from nothing:" A <br /> more accurate English rendition of the phrase would be "foundation:' It's only after ` <br /> mastering the basics or foundation that students are permitted to specialize and <br /> create their own acts. <br /> rte.,.. <br /> Despite the popularity of acrobatics in China, historically the performances <br /> themselves rarely took place' in theaters because the art form was looked down on <br /> by the "feudal" or ruling class. It wasn't until The Communist Party came to power <br /> in 1949 that acrobatics was given new life.As many as 120 acrobatic schools were <br /> set up throughout the country and students were selected at a very young age to <br /> attend what were considered prestigious training facilities. <br /> s � <br /> p Tragically, acrobats along with intellectuals, religious leaders and many other <br /> talented people were-persecuted during the excesses of"The Cultural Revolution," <br /> the worst of which lasted from 1966 until 1969. Schools, universities and mo"naster- " <br /> ies'were shuttered and many acrobats were sent to the country to plant rice, work in factories or perform other physical labor that was meant to "clean their minds., <br /> During this period training still continued but at'a much lower level and insecret. <br /> In the 1970s acrobatics in China began a rebirth and the 1980s brought a true <br /> revolution in the level of training and performance. The Chinese government began <br /> to'wake up to the fact that there was a lot of money to be made from exporting" <br /> goods and services. Large troupes,of acrobats were sent abroad to perform in <br /> � "Japan, Singapore, Western Europe, The United States, Canada. <br /> Today competition for spots in the best acrobatic schools is still considerable, but <br /> � Y with the rise of a white-collar class in China, more and more talented people are <br /> pursuing-university degrees or going into fields that require less vigorous physical <br /> '�;�%1ra�n3ng <br /> y <br /> ' mss ` a <br />