Homecoming for China-trained acrobat
Kenyan coach aims to nurture more talent in Africa, inspire new generation
Xu Yang, a coach with more than 20 years of experience at Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School, shared the excitement over Kavita's visit. "The other day I mentioned an acrobatic move in Chinese, 'Gu Lu Mao', which means front flips, and he immediately understood it," Xu said, noting that despite Kavita's reduced fluency in Mandarin, he still remembers all the key acrobatic terms in Chinese.
This year, about 70 acrobats from nine countries, including Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Sierra Leone, have come to Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School for training. In addition to working closely with his four Kenyan students, Kavita also assists in training beginners, including young children. Witnessing their tears has evoked memories of his own experiences as a child at the Guangzhou Acrobatic Troupe in the 1980s.