A career on the line

As a child acrobat growing up in an obscure village in Jiangsu province in the 1950s, Lu Yi did not have it easy. Getting beaten up by his teachers for every little lapse was routine.

"Now the circus schools in China are so much better. The Chinese government's push to develop and showcase Chinese acrobatic skills has made a huge difference," Lu says.

How the boy from Jiangsu ended up as a master trainer at the San Francisco Circus Center, one of the most highly-respected circus schools in the United States, is a story that will sustain many retellings.