Red Panda (acrobat)

Red Panda performing at a Cleveland Cavaliers game in 2018.

Rong "Krystal" Niu[1] (born 1970 or 1971[2]) is a Chinese American acrobat who performs under the stage name Red Panda named after the animal with the same name. Her act involves riding a 7-foot (2.1 m) tall unicycle while catching and balancing multiple metal bowls on her feet and head.[3][4] She is known for her performances during halftime shows of National Basketball Association (NBA) games. She also appeared in season 8 of America's Got Talent.[5]

Early life

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Niu was born and raised in Taiyuan in Shanxi, China. Her parents, GuiZhang Niu and Jiang LongDi, were both acrobats.[4] Rong Niu is a fourth-generation acrobat, with her mother, grandmother and great grandmother having flipped bowls as well.[1] She began practicing her act at age 7 under the tutelage of her father, and later attended a boarding school for the acrobatic arts. She also toured internationally with the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe from age 14 to 19.[4][6]

She moved to the United States when she was 19, first to Orlando, Florida, and later to the Sunset District neighborhood of San Francisco, California, where she has since lived.[4][6]

Career

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After moving to the United States, Niu sent audition tapes to various circuses and venues.[4] On Thanksgiving Day in 1993, she received an invitation to perform at a home game for the Los Angeles Clippers, who needed a last-minute replacement for a canceled act.[7] In the subsequent season, she performed during halftime of over 40 NBA games.[4] She has since regularly performed at NBA games, developing a "cult following" among fans and sportswriters. She has also frequently performed during halftime shows of college basketball games.[5][8][7] Dime called her "the best halftime act in basketball".[9]

In 2013, she appeared in season 8 of America's Got Talent and earned a place as a quarter-finalist, but left the show for personal reasons when her father was diagnosed with cancer. She stopped performing to care for him.[4] Still practicing while caring for her father, Niu fell backwards off her unicycle and broke her wrist. It was her first major injury as an acrobat.[10] Her father died in 2014.[4] Afterwards, her mother suffered health issues.[10] Niu returned to performing at NBA games in 2015,[6][7] performing at the Memphis Grizzlies' 2015–16 home opener on October 28.[10][9]

Her performance lasts about 5+1⁄2 minutes, and includes 16 metal bowls painted white. She estimates she has a perfect show 75–80 percent of the time.[11] During her hiatus in 2014, Darren Rovell reported that she made $5,000 per performance at her peak.[12]

In January 2018, her custom-built unicycle was stolen from the baggage claim at San Francisco International Airport. She temporarily used a makeshift unicycle made from old and broken parts.[7][3] After hearing about the theft, the Golden State Warriors paid to replace the unicycle.[3][13]

Personal life

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Niu became a U.S. citizen in 1997.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Krest, Shawn (May 9, 2017). "Why and how: Everything you've ever wondered about Red Panda". Raleigh & Company. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019.
  2. ^ Thompson, Avery (June 19, 2013). "'America's Got Talent' Recap: The Red Panda Amazes With Acrobatics". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "The Legend of the Red Panda: NBA Halftime's Can't Miss Act". ESPN Daily. April 8, 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Fischer, Jake (2018-08-29). "Behind the scenes with NBA mainstay Red Panda". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  5. ^ a b Skrbina, Paul; Thompson, Phil (February 16, 2017). "Dish-juggling Red Panda dazzles Northwestern fans". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  6. ^ a b c Maine, D'Arcy (2017-06-06). "Acrobat Red Panda: Performing 'gives me a sense of worthiness'". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  7. ^ a b c d Steinberg, Russell (2018-03-11). "A broken arm and stolen unicycle can't stop Red Panda". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  8. ^ "Photos: Red Panda entertained the crowd at Cajundome". The Advocate. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  9. ^ a b Difilippo, Bill (October 22, 2015). "The Grizzlies Are Bringing Back Famed Halftime Performer 'Red Panda' For Opening Night". Dime. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c Wong, Alex (November 9, 2015). "After Time Away, Red Panda Returns". Sports On Earth. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019.
  11. ^ Casagrande, Michael (January 21, 2018). "A conversation with Red Panda, America's favorite unicycle riding, bowl flipping halftime act". AL.com. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  12. ^ Payne, Melissa (October 2, 2014). "Famed NBA halftime acrobat Rong Niu, aka Red Panda, is reportedly retiring". Washington Post. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  13. ^ Medworth, Whitney (2018-02-02). "Red Panda has a unicycle again thanks to the Warriors". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  14. ^ Erickson, Ethan (January 18, 2024). "Beloved halftime act Red Panda performing at Mizzou on Thursday and Saturday". St Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 3, 2024. As much as American audiences love Red Panda, she is equally fond of the United States, becoming a citizen in 1997.
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