Carnival celebrations

By Gayani Perera

With the present environment becoming extremely conducive for the Sri Lankan people to indulge in a variety of merry making activities, the Old Boys’ Association of Nalanda College is working towards entering a new era of carnival entertainment with the launch of the “Chinese Circus 2011,” an event that should not be missed.

The Chinese Circus 2011 is scheduled to take place from 31 March to the 30 April 2011 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium and is expected to capture an audience of over 345,000. This spectacular carnival celebration is in aid of the reconstruction of the college’s Malalasekara Memorial Hall which is a splendid facility that serves the needs of not only the college’s student fraternity but also that of other schools in and around Colombo.

The special event which is one of the best of its kind is set to create a thronging extravaganza displaying the mesmerizing skills of world renowned Chinese acrobats. At a time when relations between Sri Lanka and the People’s Republic of China is at its peak, an event of this nature will undoubtedly further strengthen the age old bonding which exists between the two countries whilst also providing the ideal platform to exchange cultural relations.

The audience can expect to be kept spellbound during the event which will showcase the incredible performances of the world famous ‘Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe’ of the People’s Republic of China. The ‘Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe’ was established in December 1957 and since then has performed numerous acrobatic shows. The troupe’s performances have always been thrilling, unique and spectacular depicting South China characteristics.

The troupe’s performance will include amazing feats such as “Cycling on the High Wire with Bowl Topping”, “Bicycle Balancing on a Three-storied Stand”, “Magic Show”, “Brick Breaking on Chairs” and much more. The Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe to date has been presented with numbers accolades and awards for their star performances. The troupe’s “Hand Acrobatics” and “Bowl Balancing Act” was bestowed with the Gold Award at the France Paris Tomorrow Acrobatic Festival as well as the France Republic President Award in 1986 and 1989 respectively. The “Leather Rope Trick” and “Bowl Balancing” performances won the troupe Gold Awards at the first National Seedling Cup Acrobatic Competition and first Literature Art Award of the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province.

Ever since its establishment the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe has made 40 performing visits to an estimated 120 cities in over 30 countries across the globe. Having kept international audiences captivated with their breathtaking performances the troupe has received a high degree of admiration and appreciation from numerous foreign dignitaries which include the Prime Minister of New Zealand who expressed his wish to accompany the troupe to other cities so that he could see more of their performances. The Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe also sent acrobatic coaches to Australia on two occasions for the promotion of Chinese acrobatic arts, which was a great contribution made towards the development of Chinese acrobatics as well as towards the building of foreign cultural exchanges.

The organizers for the Chinese Circus 2011 comprise of a joint committee which includes the Nalanda Junior Old Boys’ Association as well as the Nalanda Old Boys’ Association. Both associations hold a highly successful track record with regards to the organizing of large scale events and projects. These include mega events such as “Future Minds”, “Innovator” and “Genius”. With the wheels set in motion to organize the most anticipated event of the year, Chinese Circus 2011is expected to provide unlimited entertainment with the most captivating and thrilling performances ever to grace the Colombo city’s carnival circuit.