Have you ever watched two ballet dancers dance in such fluid synchronicity and absolute trust?
These dancing partners are a part of the Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe of China. And not only do they dance with them and for the troupe, but they are also the lead dancers. And when you watch them, you’ll know why.
Wu Zhengdan and Wei Baohua, married in real life, have been dancing together since their school days, for more than 20 years.
They met when Wu entered the Liaoning Acrobatic Gymnastics and they became partners on stage. With professional guidance from their coach, they were able to thrive in their dance career and even won the China Acrobatic Gymnastic Championship and the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championship.
After several years of being dance partners, they were officially invited to join the Guangdong Acrobatic Troupe.
They are also officially known as the Soldier Acrobatic Troupe of the Political Department of Guangzhou Military Region. The couple continues to perform with this troupe until today.
The year they joined the troupe, they traveled to Denmark for their first overseas tour, where they received high acclaim for their performance.
This gave them confidence in themselves and in their talent. In fact, they even won the Golden Clown award at the International Monte-Carlo Circus Festival in 2002 for their performance titled “Oriental Swan-Ballet on Top of Head” and Wu was named “The Swan from Asia and ‘The Swan of the Oriental World.”
Since then, they have become known for this move, of Wu pirouetting on top of Wei’s head.
But it wasn’t an easy battle. It took them years to really perfect this move.
“With every turn, the tips of my delicate shoes bored deeper and deeper into his shoulder until it turned into a big unsightly sore. But none of that pain – only beauty – showed in what we finally presented,” Wu told China Daily Africa.
Their hard work has paid off because now, they are known and invited to perform all over the world for this move.
One of the stages were they were able to perform was the Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde (The World’s Greatest Cabaret). It is a French entertainment show series produced by Magic TV and hosted by Patrick Sébastien. Every month, they feature different cabaret acts, including performances from clowns, magicians, acrobats, and jugglers, among others). The first ever show aired on December 26, 1998, and has become one of the biggest entertainment shows in the world.
In 2008, Wu Zhengdan and Wei Baohua had the privilege of performing at Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde on the show’s 10th year.
The audience present at the show and who watched it online loved it!
YouTube commenter “iam1jdh” said:
“The most elegant and creative combination of classical ballet and couple acrobatics ever seen, unparalleled beauty, strength, and grace. I could not take my eyes off of her. No doubt she could dance across any highwire on her toes. Balance, poise, and flexibility show us a sophisticated confident woman of supreme talent and dedication to her art.”
Others said:
“She is grace in perfect motion. He is her perfect partner. Both are beyond gifted; beyond extraordinary.”
and,
“So effortlessly elegant and beautiful! They make it look as easy as breathing to them. Incredible skill, true masters!”
In 2019, they competed in China’s Dian Feng Zhi Lu (World’s Got Talent), where they challenged themselves in a breathtaking performance of “Never Enough.”
Even their son was present to watch them perform and receive the Golden Buzzer from the judges.
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