culture

The DPRK’s aerial stunt is most popular not only among local people but also at the world acrobatic festivals. 

According to director Sin Un Sop, the aerial acrobatics of the country date back to physical acrobatic piece “Aerial flight” produced in 1955. At that time, the flight distance of actors and actresses was mostly 2-3 metres, and two and a half turns in the air was the highest-grade movement.

Aerial acrobatics entered the phase of rapid development from the 1970s when new and unique representations and technical movements of high degrees of difficulty were introduced into acrobatic pieces thanks to the high creative enthusiasm of creative workers to break fresh ground in aerial stunt.

Various aerial stunts performed by actors and actresses as they flew between several trapezes and other flying frames and all the movements which were not done independently, but in succession, really thrilled the audience, attracting their admiration and praise.

The flight distance alone increased to over 12 metres.

Aerial stunts so far produced number over a dozen, including “Flight on the twin swings”, “Flying girls”, “Three-stage trapeze flight” and “Aerial trapeze”.

Physical stunt “Trapeze flight” won the gold prize for the first time at the 5th international acrobatic festival in France in 1981. Since then, most of the country’s aerial stunts have received top prizes at the international acrobatic festivals including the Monte Carlo, Wuqiao and Rome international circus festivals.

Aerial stunt “Three-stage trapeze flight”, which won the French presidential prize at the 24th Massy international circus festival in France, the top honour of the festival, in January 2016, is known to be a unique aerial acrobatic work unprecedented in the world circus stage.

As it broke new ground in composition, difficulty and delineation, the acrobatic piece had already been praised as the “acme of aerial acrobatics” at the 2009 Monte Carlo International Circus Festival.

Composed of the movements of high degrees of difficulty such as the triple backward turns and continuous double turns, double backward turns and continuous forward somersault with the straight body and triple side turns, it won the top prize of the festival by drawing the audience into ecstasy and mystery. 

After being awarded the gold lion prize at the 14th Wuqiao International Circus Festival, physical feat “Fly higher” also won the gold prize at the “Idol-2024” World Circus Art Festival held in Russia last July.

It made the audience feel nail-biting with such movements as backward triple turns and double side turns after double backward turns of the straight body acrobats performed while crossing each other in the air that give speed image and cubic effect.

Acrobat Ryu Chol Ung received high acclaim from the audience by successfully performing backward quadruple turns, a spectacular aerial stunt.

Jury members of the festival admired the aerial stunt repeatedly, saying that the DPRK’s acrobatics are beautiful and vigorous and that they not only give hope and encouragement to the people, but also are perfect in the light of formative artistic effect.