Cirque du Beijing

Nino Mendes, 30, is a picture of concentration as he practices his handstands against a wall at the Beijing International Arts School (BIAS) in the city's southern Daxing district. Building his confidence with the help of the wall, the Frenchman diligently tries to master his sense of balance.

Mendes joined the zaji (variety art) school six months ago. The former model and yoga teacher aspires to be an action movie star once his one-year training regime comes to an end. He spends five hours training daily during weekdays, with extra hours spent on stretching and other exercises in the evenings and at weekends.

"Some people think the training is too intense, but I'm not intimidated as it is also inspiring," said Mendes.

Since the school opened to foreign students in 2000, one year after it was founded, BIAS has trained over 300 foreigners from around 30 countries. All range in skill level from absolute beginners to award-winning professionals.

"The school provides long-term courses spanning six years along with short-term courses of three months," said BIAS vice president Wu Qiong, adding it also offers courses in Chinese-language, dance, fine arts, martial arts and acting.

Learning from the best

In front of Mendes, a trio of Cambodian youngsters practice somersaults with the help of their teachers. Elsewhere in the gymnasium, four teenage girls from France, Australia and Portugal fine-tune their handstands on wooden benches before walking on their hands.

Foreign students come to the school for different purposes, noted Wu. "Some are here to acquire basic skills of acrobatics, while professionals aim to hone their techniques," said Wu.

In its first few years, most students were from Southeast Asian nations such as Cambodia and Myanmar and were sent by acrobatic troupes from their home countries. Nowadays, there are more students from Western countries paying the annual tuition fee of $5,000 by themselves, Wu explained.

"In France, being a circus performer is a fashionable profession. People engaged in the circus are well-respected," said Mendes. Differing from Western circus shows that focus more on theatrical effects, Chinese acrobatics emphasizes performers' skills and flexibility, Mendes said.

"We all know Chinese acrobatics has the best techniques in the world," said Jacques Alejo Bisilliat Belluci, 20, from Brazil. In Brazil, Belluci taught both kids and adults basic circus tricks such as juggling and tumbling for fun at his father's circus training school. After graduating from BIAS, Belluci hopes to open his own school.

Flexible teaching methods

Dating back 2,500 years as a form of entertainment, Chinese acrobatics is one of the country's most mesmerizing cultural exports.

Chinese acrobatic performances infuse martial arts, folk dance and circus showmanship in shows that have today become world-famous thanks to troupes from all over the country.

Despite the notoriously harsh training acrobats must endure, BIAS customizes its courses for those who start acrobatics at a later age compared to their Chinese counterparts, who often start learning at age 5 or 6.

Victoria Bungaroo, 19, from Mauritius was captivated by the performance of Switzerland's acclaimed contortionist Nina Burri on TV. Upon finding out online the artist once studied at the school, Bungaroo enrolled for six months as a trial, despite having no previous acrobatic training.

As a latecomer to the art of contortionism, Bungaroo has had to train intensely to achieve the flexibility required for rubber-like limbs able to squeeze into tiny boxes. Although she speaks little Chinese, teaching this form of acrobatics relies more on body language than oral communication.

"Sometimes I would struggle to do the splits and my teacher would push me down to the floor," she said. "She really pushed my limits, and the training sometimes was really painful. At times, I couldn't keep from crying," she recalled of her first few weeks at the school.

Persistence has proved fruitful, however, due to her determined attitude.

"Victoria is required to learn the basic skills of a contortionist as the Chinese students do, but I choreograph more dance and slow movements for her as she needs to build her strength," said her trainer Teng Li, a veteran contortionist. "I expect the same high standards from her as I do of my Chinese students."

At 30, Mendes had to demonstrate his tireless work ethic to win his trainers' trust to take him on as a mature student. While training around the clock might offer a fast track to perfection as a performer, Mendes doesn't want to lose the "fun" element acrobatics offers him. "I know my body's conditions and limits. If I don't feel like training, I don't need to," he explained.

Living in an acrobatic bubble

Edgar Zeahappo Audelo, 20, an acrobat who trained in his home country of Mexico for a year before he enrolled at BIAS, feels more attention should be given to foreign students.

"The teachers are strict with the Chinese students but not with us," he said. "Chinese students have teachers to train them early in the morning and late in the afternoon, but we only start at 8:30 am. I wish we could be taught at early and late hours as well."

Open to anyone interested in learning acrobatics, applicants have one interview at the school and demonstrate basic skills such as kicking, the splits or tumbling. Almost anyone who has an interview can enroll at the school regardless of their acrobatic skills, said Belluci.

"The school takes in almost anyone. It is good on one hand as the school really opens doors for those who are interested, but on the other hand it isn't good for professionals who want to study with people who share their ambitions," he said.

Foreign students at the school have little interaction with their Chinese peers as training is segregated. While Belluci is impressed by the endurance of Chinese students, he's concerned at the effect of kids never leaving the school's nearly 7-hectare campus.

"The Chinese students are too focused on acrobatics. They could be the best in their specialty, but they just know acrobatics. Once they leave school, they know nothing of the outside world," he said.