On April 24th–26th, local time, the acrobatic drama "Swan", created by the Guangzhou Acrobatic Arts Theater, participated in the 250th-anniversary gala of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow as the sole invited Chinese production. Staging four consecutive performances over three days, every show played to a full house. Russian audiences spared no admiration for these artists from the East, marveling, "The Chinese production is absolutely magnificent—truly extraordinary!"

The story begins with the birth of "Ballet on Shoulders" in 2000. At the time, Wu Zhengdan and her partner Wei Baohua, both performers in the Guangzhou Soldiers Acrobatic Troupe, began experimenting with an unprecedented acrobatic feat: transferring ballet's en pointe from the floor onto a human shoulder, while gracefully lifting a leg to execute classic ballet poses and pirouettes. In 2002, with their act "Oriental Swan — Ballet on Shoulders", Wu Zhengdan and Wei Baohua captured the "Golden Clown" award, the highest international honor in the circus and acrobatic world.

It was precisely this world-stunning "Ballet on Shoulders" that gave rise to the world's first acrobatic drama, "Swan Lake", in Guangzhou in 2004. In the production, Wu Zhengdan and Wei Baohua portrayed the White Swan and the Prince, seamlessly weaving the "Ballet on Shoulders" technique into the classic narrative. By retelling the story through the vocabulary of Chinese acrobatics, they created a distinctly "Chinese version of Swan Lake." This innovation elevated acrobatics from a short act lasting only a few minutes into a full-length theatrical drama. Hailed as "a revolution in art and a breakthrough for acrobatics," it opened the door for original Chinese acrobatic dramas to enter the global stage.

Fittingly, its very first overseas destination was Russia. In 2006, it dazzled audiences at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, where tickets were highly sought after. In 2008, the production embarked on a further overseas tour across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to wide acclaim, bringing the unique charm of acrobatic ballet to an ever-growing international audience.

独家专访吴正丹：广东天鹅出海记

当地时间4月24日-26日，广州市杂技艺术剧院创作的杂技剧《天鹅》作为唯一受邀的中国剧目，参加莫斯科大剧院250周年庆典。三天连演四场，场场座无虚席。俄罗斯观众毫不吝啬地致敬这群来自东方的艺术家，忍不住发出惊叹：“中国的剧目太棒了，太了不起了！”

故事的起点，要从2000年“肩上芭蕾”的诞生说起。那时吴正丹和搭档魏葆华都是广州战士杂技团的演员，他们开始尝试一个前所未有的杂技动作：将芭蕾的“足尖”从地板移到人的肩膀上，同时“轻巧”地抬起腿完成芭蕾舞姿和旋转。2002年，吴正丹和魏葆华凭借节目《东方的天鹅——芭蕾对手顶》，一举拿下国际杂技最高荣誉“金小丑”奖。

正是这个惊艳世界的“肩上芭蕾”，催生了2004年在广州诞生的世界第一部杂技剧《天鹅湖》。在剧中，吴正丹和魏葆华分饰“白天鹅”与“王子”，将“肩上芭蕾”技巧完整地融入经典剧情中，用中国杂技语汇重新讲述，打造了一部“中国版《天鹅湖》”。它让杂技从短至几分钟的节目，进化成了一部剧，被誉为“艺术的革命、杂技的突围”，并且开启中国原创杂技剧走向世界的大门。

而它走出国门的第一站，正是俄罗斯。2006年，它曾在莫斯科克里姆林宫国家大剧院的舞台上惊艳四座，一票难求。2008年，它再次出海，赴德国、奥地利、瑞士巡演，影响广泛，更多海外观众欣赏到杂技芭蕾的魅力。

文 | 记者 周欣怡 朱绍杰
图｜主办方供图
译｜陈冠臻
英文审校｜曾敏