The Pro-Yos, Cornell’s only Chinese yo-yo performance group, held their seventh annual showcase this past Sunday. For two and a half hours, a record number of Pro-Yo performers danced nearly nonstop across the stage with physics-defying tricks, upbeat music and constant outfit changes. The warmth of the group’s community shone through with every act, and with their highly engaged audience, they created an electric atmosphere that was a delight to experience.
I had no idea what to expect as I entered the theater, and could not have predicted how mesmerizing the performance would be. Chinese yo-yo is a game that requires extensive coordination, as the performers manipulate their yo-yo and navigate acrobatic choreography. The hours the Pro-Yos have put into rehearsing the showcase are evident at every step, and never once did the performers seem lost on stage.
Chinese yo-yo has developed over centuries, or even thousands of years; the year of origin is unknown. Originally known as the kong zhu and made of bamboo, it has undergone various developments and variations as it crosses the globe, its shape and materials eventually reaching the Chinese yo-yo displayed by the Pro-Yos on stage. It is still widely practiced and a significant part of China and Taiwan’s cultural heritage. The Pro-Yos seamlessly intertwined the past and present by combining the long tradition of Chinese yo-yo with modern music and fashion.
The showcase, playfully titled the ShowYo, was divided into five themed legs in addition to an opening and closing ceremony, dance feature and intermission. The night was structured as a faux competition, with commentators jokingly speculating about the prospective winners. While it was not truly a competition, the theme rallied me into rooting for each ‘competitor’ to succeed with their every trick.
The solo performances were a highlight of the evening, allowing an individual performer to hold our focus and take up space on stage. One of the tricks I found most impressive, and which garnered some of the loudest cheers of the night, was a common feature of the solos. It involves the yo-yo being tossed into the air and caught upon the string as the performer spins, and each time it seemed they were executing an impossible catch.
The larger group performances were far more complicated in their choreography, and with multiple performers, a whole new host of tricks became possible. They would toss yo-yos back and forth and weave amongst one another in a rapid display of impressive coordination. An act titled the Pro-Yos Traveling Circus was perhaps their most ambitious, as they donned a large variety of costumes, with clown noses and monkey onesies peppering the stage.
The music choices were effective at energizing the audience while being conducive to intricate choreography, with all the songs being well-known, and the audience occasionally singing along. In some acts, such as one to Zara Larsson’s Lush Life, they briefly tapped into artists’ well-known choreography to an overwhelmingly positive response.
Prior to the intermission, there was a guest performance by Loko, a K-hip hop and K-pop dance group at Cornell. Their feature fit in smoothly, with two well-executed and lively dances that nicely complemented the rest of the evening.
I think the Pro-Yos performance excelled in large part due to the joyful atmosphere of the event. The performers gave the distinct impression of people who would rather be nowhere else; it was apparent in their interactions and dispositions that the Pro-Yos have cultivated an incredible community of people who appreciate their art and one another. While fallen yo-yos were a fairly common occurrence, each performer deftly recovered, and mistakes only led me to root more strongly and cheer more loudly for the next trick.
Before the final leg, the seniors — or rather, the ‘Seniyos’ — of Pro-Yo were declared the ‘winners’ of the competition, in a sweet tribute to the graduating class. Each senior was given a specific award tailored to their time in the group, such as always being late to practice, building further on the tight-knit community they present.
I would highly recommend attending a Pro-Yo showcase. The acts themselves are astonishing and beautiful to watch, and the show’s energy is unmatched. The audience added greatly to the fun with wild shouts and applause for each performer and trick, regardless of a flawless execution or one speckled with little missteps. It was a wonderful use of a Sunday night.
Rye Blizzard is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a contributor for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at rab538@cornell.edu.
