Acrobatics is an art that challenges the limits. Traditional acrobatics mostly uses exaggerated body movements to directly impact the audience's senses, and focuses more on entertainment attributes. In recent years, in order to break through the difficulties of single acrobatic creation methods and lack of creativity, many acrobatic groups have explored the cross-border integration of acrobatics and stage dramas and other art forms, which has enabled acrobatic art to get rid of its pure entertainment attributes and extend its aesthetic and educational aspects. and other multiple functions. However, many acrobatic dramas are still criticized for being stiff in combination, and there are even many voices saying that "acrobatics is just not suitable for narrative and lyrical expression".
On March 25, the new acrobatic drama "Youth Has Another Name" (hereinafter referred to as "Youth"), produced by the Hunan Provincial Performing Arts Group and created by the Hunan Provincial Acrobatic Art Theater, launched a new round of national tour. The play broke the previous The cross-border integration of acrobatic drama is based on the method of stream of consciousness and based on the logical construction of consciousness activities, so that the content and form of the drama are blended. The technique is bold and avant-garde, and it is a very reference exploration for expanding the aesthetic and educational functions of acrobatic drama. , allowing acrobatic art to show strong realism.
"Youth" is divided into four acts: "Come All Days", "Run, Use Dreams as Horses", "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky" and "We Are All Protagonists". There is no absolute protagonist in the play , every individual in it carries the courage and faith to chase, run, fall, grow, and start again in the direction of light and dreams...
From a formal point of view, "Youth" well retains the shock of the acrobatic art itself. The technical content of the human heart. When "Youth" was touring in Chengdu, some viewers said that watching it live was very shocking. This means that the part of acrobatic art that can arouse the audience's interest has not been weakened by cross-border integration. At the same time, literary critic Liu Yuqin believes that the innovation of props also gives acrobatic art a more meaningful aesthetic value. "Youth" changes the traditional "terrestrial circles" and "swings" into highly abstract "squares" and "circles"; turns discs, diabolos, etc. into twinkling stars in the night sky; combines trampolines and rock climbing walls into one 1. Change the one-way vertical jumping into the world-wide walking that escapes into the folded space. In this drama, viewers who are familiar with acrobatics will see unique innovations, while viewers who are not familiar with acrobatics will feel the youthful energy of striving for excellence and not fearing dangers.
From the content point of view, "Youth" uses powerful body movements to express the energy and sunshine of youth, and also uses various props and adapted movements to visualize the difficulties and frustrations of youth. Contemporary young people live in an environment with advanced technology and convenient life. Before they truly enter social life, they do not have enough understanding of setbacks, and they are not fully mentally prepared and action aware to face setbacks. The spiritual attitude of challenging the limits inherent in acrobatics, as well as the emotional theme of starting again after a fall conveyed by the drama "Youth", are quite inspiring to contemporary young people.
Acrobatic art challenges the physical limits and will inevitably cause injuries to the actors. During this Chengdu tour, after a 12-year-old actor was injured, he adjusted his condition in just a few minutes and prepared for the next performance. "Pay attention to safety, but don't be squeamish" is the self-cultivation of every acrobat, and it is also the ideology that contemporary young people need to have. Previously, Hunan Acrobatic Art Theater has performed and exchanged performances at world-renowned universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Yale. During the last tour of "Youth", the main creative and starring actors also visited Zhuhai Art Vocational College and other campus lectures. This time the "Youth" national tour has started again, hoping to bring this upward force into the deeper blood of youth.
"Through "Youth", more audiences will definitely get closer to acrobatic art and feel the efforts of acrobats to constantly innovate and explore." Li Jin, the actress of "Youth", faced the camera solemnly when she arrived in Xining, the next stop of the tour. say.
Xiaoxiang Morning News reporter Liu Ting
