At 19, Laqian is already 12 years into his acrobatics journey

From the audience, Sha Ma Laqian’s high-chair act can look almost effortless. In reality, every controlled movement is backed by 12 years of training, repetition, and the kind of nerve that only comes with experience.

The 19-year-old, a member of China’s Yi ethnic group, began learning acrobatics when he was just seven.

Today, he performs with the Sichuan Suining Acrobatics Troupe, including in a recent Beijing show where he climbed and balanced on a stack of chairs rising about 10m above the stage.

“I was quite nervous when I first started performing this act, but after doing it repeatedly, I no longer feel that way,” he told the media after the performance.

Bernama was among participants of an Asean media programme invited to watch the show, which offered a closer look at how traditional Chinese acrobatics are being presented on contemporary stages.

Laqian said the high-chair routine took years to master, beginning with basic movements before progressing gradually to more difficult skills. It took him around eight to nine years to reach his current level of proficiency.

That process has not been without physical setbacks. “Injuries are common in the field of acrobatics, but the applause and encouragement from the audience make all the effort to learn and improve worthwhile,” he shared.

Beyond the technical difficulty, the act carries a theatrical element: his costume incorporates features inspired by the traditional Chinese shusheng style, evoking the image of a classical scholar or student.

The hourlong “Legend of Chinese Charm” show featured more than 60 performers across nine acts, ranging from plate spinning and bowl balancing to bicycle acrobatics, hat juggling and flying motorcycles.

For Laqian, the performance was about more than spectacle. It was also a way to keep refining an art he has loved since childhood, and to share that passion with audiences beyond China.

He hopes each performance will leave more people curious about Chinese acrobatics, and perhaps more appreciative of the skill, discipline and beauty behind it.

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