Kenya, China Mark 40 Years of Acrobatics and Cultural Ties With Dazzling Showcase

Nairobi — Kenya and China on Friday launched the inaugural China-Kenya Culture and Tourism Season in a vibrant ceremony held in Nairobi, celebrating 40 years of acrobatic exchanges and cultural cooperation.

The colourful event, attended by top government officials, diplomats, artists, and cultural enthusiasts, marked a significant milestone in bilateral ties, offering a dazzling mix of traditional music, dance, and acrobatics that showcased the rich cultural identities of both nations.

Festivities opened with the Seng’anya Dance by the Bomas Harambee Dancers–whose electrifying footwork and rhythmic drumming captured the essence of Kenyan tradition. This was followed by the iconic Chinese Lion Dance, performed by all participating Kenyan acrobatic centres, symbolising the unity and fusion between the two cultures. Melodic interludes came courtesy of the Mango International Art Troupe from China, with performances of “Presenting You a Rose,” “Xiangxi Capriccio,” and the fast-paced “Horse Racing” featuring the delicate sounds of the Erhu and Pipa, played by Zhang Yinyue and Lu Yuwei respectively–offering a lyrical glimpse into China’s millennia-old musical heritage.

At the heart of the evening was a theatrical acrobatic performance titled “The Spark to the Rise”, an allegorical journey through four decades of China-Kenya acrobatic collaboration, told in five distinct acts. The opening act, The Spark (Innocence & Dreaming), featured a graceful ballet-on-shoulder routine by the Mango Troupe, symbolising the birth of shared dreams. The second act, The Calling (Opportunity & Selection), highlighted the beginning of the China-Kenya acrobatic partnership. The Fire (Struggle & Adjustment) followed, dramatising training challenges and resilience, blending storytelling with excerpts from Chinese opera, including The Peony Pavilion and Journey to the West.

In the fourth act, The Awakening (Breakthrough & Self-Discovery), the story took a celebratory turn as performers showcased moments of personal and collective triumph. The final act, The Rise (Mastery & Return), featured Kenya’s finest acrobatic talent in performances such as Icarian Games and Ball Rolling by Mighty Jambo Circus Academy, Club Juggling and Handstand on Chairs by Zuma Zuma Arts Centre, CYR Wheel by Juggle Kida, and Ladder and Contortionist Racket Acts by DAYA Dagoretti Youth Artists. The show concluded with a powerful grand Pyramids Act performed by all acrobatic centres in a stunning display of teamwork and heritage.

Capping the celebration was a ceremonial toast led by Qiu Taowu of the Mango International Art Troupe, commemorating the enduring spirit of cultural partnership through acrobatics since the 1980s. In her address, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan paid tribute to Mathias Kavita–one of the first Kenyans sent to China for acrobatic training in 1983–who has since become Kenya’s most prominent acrobatic coach. Kavita, she said, returned to China last year to reconnect with his roots. Though many of his former instructors had passed away, one remained alive, though too elderly to recognise him. “But the techniques and spirit of acrobatics had endured,” she noted.

Ambassador Guo reflected on the deep historical ties between the two nations, dating back over 600 years to Admiral Zheng He’s voyages to East Africa. She recalled how a giraffe gifted by the King of Malindi to the Chinese emperor was believed to be a qilin, a mythical creature symbolising good fortune in Chinese folklore.

Since Kenya’s independence in 1963, the two nations have cultivated increasingly strong diplomatic and cultural ties. The ambassador noted that over 2,000 Kenyan students have received Chinese government scholarships, with thousands more benefitting from professional and academic training. In 2024 alone, more than 90,000 Chinese tourists visited Kenya–a number expected to grow during the cultural season.