Episode 84: East Versus West - A Comparison Of Circus with Guang Rong Lu

Born in China under the rule of Chairman Mao Zehdong, Guang Rong Lu began his circus training at the age of 11. After a long career as a performer, Mister Lu arrived in Australia to bring with him systems of teaching circus. He aided in establishing The National Institute of Circus Arts in Melbourne, Australia and worked as head coach in the program. In this interview, Mister Lu outlines how the financial philosophies nations adopt influence how circus artists train and work they create, and how he and circus have changed over his 55-year career. Please won’t you be a Patreon?: http://www.patreon.com/theartistathlete This podcast is dedicated to CIRCUS. Aerialist, Shannon McKenna interviews guests from acrobats in Cirque du Soleil to circus therapists and everyone in between. Learn the backstage lives of those who flip, twist, sparkle, and shine under the big top. Find her online: www.theartistathlete.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartistathlete Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_artist_athlete/ Links: The Age: A (more) in-depth biography of Mister Lu: https://www.theage.com.au/national/flying-high-down-under-20040308-gdxfvq.html A write-up of the cultural and artistic philosophies of China: http://il.china-embassy.org/eng/whys/whzc/t159979.htm Article about the Shanghai Circus School: https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/12492/shanghai-circus-school-archive-another-magazine-aw04-jonathan-frantini  The National Institute of Circus Arts: https://www.nica.com.au/ The Flying Fruit Fly Circus:  https://fruitflycircus.com.au/