I once sat in a Seaworld show (I never saw The Cove sorry) and smirked to myself at all the Chinese acrobats there were. The entire troupe was Asian. Even Cirque du Soleil shows I've seen have had solid Asian contingents. I supposed out of a billion people the odds for finding lithe aerodynamic performers are pretty high. Oh that and the state sponsored training system.
Famous shows in China?
In China, shows are a major crowd pleaser. Zhang Yimou, renouned Chinese filmmaker who directed the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has marquee shows in Guilin and Hangzhou integrated into the natural scenery. With a flourish of laser lighting and acrobatics, he brings to life a performance that costs a month's wages for the working class . The official opinion from friends who've seen both performances is that the Guilin show is much better. I didn't find the Hangzhou show to be as interesting as shows I've seen elsewhere in China. In fact I'd skip Hangzhou unless you are dying to witness the hype. The crowd is also very loud and rude, quite willing to conduct loud cell phone conversations during the show.
Favorite Shows?
My favorites were the shows nearby Huangshan(Yellow Mountain) in the Anhui province. "Hongcun: A Ju" stood out in particular, chronicling the story of an Anhui village and set on a lake . It's an excellent mix of cultural and acrobatic entertainment.
