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That they arrived via conventional means is by no means a disappointment when one watches their extraordinary show, a spectacle re-telling of Swan Lake, which does to the old, venerated ballet what Liberace did to the classical piano. Bodies are un-shackled from their human chains and set to perform death-defying, groin-stretching feats. There is the lady (Tan Wanxia) who can thread her head through her legs backwards and who then allows her partner to balance one-handed upon her stomach; there are the gentlemen who become as spokes of a wheel, rolling around picking and dropping one another off; there is the hat-juggler (Chen Hua) who after a few whimsical Bratfisch moves, flings his hats forward, running to catch them in dizzying, circling fashion; and most of all there is the lady who balances on pointe upon the head of her partner and proceeds to pirouette with the composure of one who is starting morning class. This is Wu Zhengdan as the Swan Princess and her Prince, Wei Baohua and I am told they are the only people in the world who can do this; a nugget of information at which I am not surprised.
 

Wu is also a moving actress, coaxing from her undoubtedly virtuosic role all the emotions that hint at the Swan Queen’s tragedy, channelling them into her undulating arms, the singing of her torso, while Wei is of noble bearing and means, offering thoroughbred style and technique and solid support. Costume designs, by Zheng Weiguo, are ravishing, especially so in its final floral tableau and the shifting of the myriad stage scenes is almost as marvellous to behold as the acrobatics. It is unfortunate that the troupe cuts and pastes from an ill-recorded version of Tchaikovsky’s score.