Just one big play time
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Posted On :
Apr-29-2010
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Article Word Count :
925
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An observer's take on a happy child performer
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The first I heard of "Xiao Bao" was on the day of his scheduled performance on the English-language comedy talk show Asia Uncut.
I worked on the show as a stand-in. Before the show's rehearsal, I asked a member of the crew about the people who were part of the night's lineup. He listed them in order of fame: "Vivian Wu, Fiona Sit and some kid called 'Xiao Bao'."
Not having heard of any of these people, I chose to quiz the one that sounded the least famous. An American writer who was also a bit unsure about the person replied: "Dunno ... Some Chinese boy who's famous on Youku ... (the YouTube of China). He can dance ..."
Apart from thinking that the show's guest list could be improved and of other famous viral YouTube videos, I imagined a bored, overweight, tracksuit-wearing teenager coming out of the dressing room, most probably with his mother in hand.
Instead, it was all a bit surreal. A tiny, very smart looking boy, not much higher than my knees, came running out onto the set and immediately started his routine. In full Michael Jackson attire, he began with some "smooth criminal" moves, moving into robotic dancing, then a bit of crotch thrusting.
Finally ending with the toss of his hat and sunglasses before assuming a still-kneeling position, the boy did not move until the now-captivated foreign production crew began their applause. Laughter ensued as no one could quite believe this was a 4-year-old boy and not Michael Jackson making a most unexpected comeback.
The next time I met Xiao Bao was one month later. I had contacted his family to ask if they would allow me to document Xiao Bao - real name Wang Yimin - and his family off set and backstage.
At such a young age, I thought it fascinating that this child had already been on dozens of TV shows in China and had even made his debut performance in the US on The Ellen Show. I feared that the parents were money-making, focus-driven "agents" for Wang Yimin. I really could not have been more wrong.
After first meeting Xiao Bao's older brother, Da Bao (Big Baby) for a chat, I was soon invited to have dinner with the whole family. Coming from Beijing, they decided on a hot pot restaurant.
I discovered they were a very close-knit family who all supported each other. They were all so relaxed and easy going. After ordering the dishes, I found out Xiao Bao has only been in the spotlight for nine months since his audition video for a TV show was uploaded to Youku. That was the springboard for his fame in China. He has been on more than 30 TV shows and starred in an advertisement. On this visit to Shanghai, the family was staying for four days to take part in a big, brand new show on Dragon TV - Super Family.
It has not always been easy sailing for the family. Xiao Bao was born prematurely and weighed just a little over one kilogram. To aid his mental development, the doctors at the hospital advised his parents to play lots of music to their son and encourage physical activities. Xiao Bao's father discovered that his son had developed a real interest in music. At the age of 2, Xiao Bao was taken to a special dance class. He loved it and has been learning ever since.
I asked the parents about the pressures that their son faced and what they make of his fame.
"For Xiao Bao, it's all just one big play time. He always loved dancing and is not shy in the slightest about going on a big stage to perform If he's happy, we're happy," one of them said.
As long as Xiao Bao still enjoys performing, the whole family will continue to support and follow him. They just hope that Xiao Bao will continue to grow healthily and enjoy his very unique life. When asked about Xiao Bao's fame, a family member replied: "It was all very unexpected. We didn't know there would be such interest. It really pleases us that so many people like Xiao Bao."
For the next few days, I joined the family for their second rehearsal and live performance at the Dragon TV studios.
A lot of time was spent in the dressing room or just waiting in the wings off stage. The show had a total of 16 individuals giving performances, from Elvis Presley look-alikes to a Ukrainian singer who was dressed up like Marilyn Monroe. The strange thing was, Xiao Bao often appeared the most professional, especially on stage when waiting for his cue to dance.
Xiao Bao is an incredibly brave boy who knows how to have a lot of fun. Just observing him, you can see he is already well used to showbiz, like how he stands patiently as crew members attach a microphone and transmitter to him and how he is completely at ease on stage.
Once, after one big dress rehearsal with lights, lasers and backup dancers, he got lifted into his mother’s arms, went past me down the steps, remembered that he lost the previous night's bet of a "stone-paper-scissors" hand-guessing game with me and said: "Jon, when are you free to go to McDonald's? It's my treat." Then off he went for a nap before his next act.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Just one big play time_17439.aspx
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Author Resource :
www.glasses2all.com
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Keywords :
Sunglasses, Cheap Sunglasses, Discount Sunglasses,
Category :
Writing and Speaking
:
Writing and Speaking
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