CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Recently, the “Tang-styled tumbler girl” in Xi’an has become popular on the Internet, and such a performance form has quietly risen in the streets of Chongqing. The reporter approached the group of “tumbler girls” in Chongqing to uncover the story behind them.

The“tumbler girl” leaning over to interact with visitors

500-jin base VS 90-jin actress

Recently, at a commercial activity in Jiangjin, Chongqing, a young woman dressed in a Tang-styled red dress, with a bun on her head and hair on her temples, and holding a retro fan, swayed like a tumbler from left to right, and her light gauze skirts and trousers were flying in the wind with her beautiful actions.

When a female audience reaches out to her, the real-life version of the tumbler girl will reach out and hold it gently. If a male audience reaches out her hand, the girl will cover her face half with a fan, bow with a full bow, and show the ancient woman’s coyness and reserve.

“My name is Jing Yun. I have been performing tumbler with my team for 4 years.” After the performance, the “tumbler girl” told the reporter.

Performer in Tang-styled costumes dances with classical beauty

Recently, after the real-life version of the tumbler girl in Xi’an brought the performance form of the tumbler more popular, Jing Yun, 29, a Chongqing girl, and her performance team becomes more and more busy. But in Chongqing, where the terrain is special, she has to make more efforts to perform the tumbler.

“When performing in other places, the props will not be displaced due to swinging. But in Chongqing, every few minutes, staff must lift the props and actors back to their original positions.” Jing Yun said that the diameter of the base of the tumbler was more than 2 meters, all of which were filled with cement. The base of 500jin and the actors of 90jin add up to nearly 600jin. If a performance lasts for 50 minutes, it should be lifted at least 10 times.

Can’t the base be lighter? Jing Yun said, at least not in Chongqing. Because the performance venue may have a slight gradient, lighter than 500jin of props, the actor can’t bounce back because of the center of gravity shift after falling down. “At the beginning, our props were 300jin, but at last they were improved to 500jin. It is the best weight we have explored in one year,” Jing Yun revealed.

Tumbler performers were being trained

However, the weight of a tumbler performer can’t exceed 90jin, otherwise it will affect the swing range of props. The height is about 165 cm, and the weight is no more than 90jin, which is the standard for Jing Yun to choose tumbler actors.

Delicate makeup VS unhealed scars

The unique female bun of the Tang Dynasty, the golden complex hairpin and the rocking, thick white foundation... Wang Hongli has been sitting in front of the make-up mirror for more than three hours. She held a picture of the Tang Dynasty maid in her hand. The make-up artist would look at the figure from time to time and adjust her bun.

The makeup artist made up the performer with delicate makeup

“Since it’s a Tang-styled tumbler, our costumes and make-up hair can’t be too different from the shapes on the pictures of ladies in the Tang Dynasty.” Jing Yun said that actors’ costumes have been improved in modern aesthetics, but the general direction was mainly to show the makeup and hair culture of Tang Dynasty women. For this reason, the team had a professional designer who would evaluate the style of each activity and integrate its special elements into the ancient costume performance clothing.

“For example, we have made chili skirt, chili headdress and imitation chili makeup to show Chongqing’s food culture.” Jing Yun said that although the maximum length of a performance was no more than 50 minutes, it was behind the efforts of dozens of staff.

Ancient clothing has a very high requirement for belt binding.

However, not every girl can “bear” such delicate makeup. “If the performance is at 10 o’clock in the morning, I need to get up at 5 o’clock. Before each formal performance, I will have warm-up training, and then I will have three hours of makeup and hair preparation.”

Wang Hongli said that she joined Jingyun’s tumbler performance team for only one month. In order to move the tumbler props of 500jin, the bruises left on her waist and legs have never been better.

There is a seat similar to a stool on the 500jin tumbler prop. During performance and training, the actor sat on the stool to better stabilize his body through his legs. “Our seats are iron shelves, so they are covered with thick cloth. Even so, the actors will still be hurt.” Jing Yun said that this seat was the only fulcrum for actors to perform.

In order to drive the 500jin props, Wang Hongli of 90jin can only rotate herself slowly through the power of her waist to complete the front and back swing. Every time she shook hands with the audience, she had to stand up and use her legs to drive the tumbler base. “When it’s serious, it hurts every time, but I have to do so. It is my favorite job.”

Before the performance, Wang Hongli was making up.

 (Translated by Luo Juan, Fathom Language Limited)