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Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) acrobats rolled straw mats into tubes which they lined with sharp knives and proceeded to jump through the tubes in a routine calledJumping Through a Narrow Path. Tang Dynasty (618-907) acrobats jumped through a hoop lined with swords in a routine known asPassing Through a Sword Gate.

Jumping Through Hoops on the Ground

However, following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Tang Dynasty routinePassing Through a Sword Gatewas transformed intoJumping Through Hoops on the Ground, a routine in which knives were removed from the hoops and jumping techniques were emphasized. The most skilled Chinese acrobats performing the stunt are from the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe. The acrobats resemble swallows as they fly back and forth through hoops a mere 10 centimeters wider than their bodies. Four hoops one atop the other rise 2.15 meters above the ground and require acrobats to perform intricate body movements while leaping high in the air The most exciting part is when an acrobat twists his body 360 degrees while flying through the hoop. People consider their performances as an art that challenges gravity.

The routineJumping Through Hoops on the Groundperformed by acrobats from the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe won the President of the Republic of France Award at the Seventh FestivalMondial du Cirque de Demainheld in Paris in January 1984, as well as a gold medal at the Tenth Circus World Championships held in London in November 1985.