The Hebei Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School in North China recently held an online class for trainees overseas as part of a three-month online training program. The training program has been tailored for students in Laos and Cambodia and will see the participation of more than 10 acrobatics experts, according to the school. Owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been difficult for acrobatic training classes to meet the demands of trainees in developing countries. Therefore, the school decided to start online training, according to the school authorities. “Acrobatic training generally uses face-to-face teaching and guidance because of the high requirements of physical movements and details involved,” said Duan Yong, an official with the school. Body movements like facial and eye expressions are hard to observe during online training, and the whole process needs explanation and guidance, so the school adopted a livestreaming model, Duan said. During the online training sessions, skilled Chinese students demonstrate standard actions in front of multiple high-definition cameras, and teachers provide guidance on the spot. The school started to recruit foreign trainees in 2002, and more than 500 trainees from over 40 countries have taken part in the training so far. Wuqiao is considered the cradle of Chinese acrobatics, and its performance style can be traced back some 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.). In 2006, Wuqiao acrobatics was listed as a State-level intangible cultural heritage. (Xinhua) | 