December 11, 1983 was an unforgettable day for Li Liping, who was a 15-year-old actress with the Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe. After several days of intensive training and performance, Li Liping felt very tired but she was not drowsy. She was waiting for the results of her performance at the Ninth Festival International du Cirpue Monte-Carlo in Monaco.
Li Liping performed a stunt of solo bowl balancing that involved using her feet to carry bowls. Her performance thrilled the audience. While lying on her back on a round table, Li used her foot to lift a pile of colorful patterned porcelain bowls by gently raising her hip while performing several 360-degree rolls in quick succession. The bowls remained in place as if glued to the sole of foot.
Results turned out that Li Liping got a mark of 377 points out of the total 400 points, winning the Clown d'Or for the performance and writing the first chapter in successful Chinese acrobatic competition in Monte Carlo. Li, a fourth-generation acrobat, is highly skilled in solo bowl balancing. The act involving quick rolls with dramatic turns is the act often seen in Chinese dance and opera known as "twisting on an imaginary pillar like a dragon." Li successfully incorporated the routine in her art to make it more thrilling and graceful.
On the awarding ceremony of the Ninth Festival International du Cirpue Monte-Carlo in Monaco on December 12, Li Liping received the golden prize of Clown d'Or from the chairman of the commission that chooses the prize winner through public appraisal amid enthusiastic applauses and cheers of the audience of more than 5,000 people. She was very happy to recieve prize, an artwork that symbolized wisdom and humor. Her smile seemed to tell people that all efforts could pay off.
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