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Kylie Knott

Watching Hong Kong aerialist Jimmy Wong in action is a dizzying experience.
His gravity-defying acts take him high off the stage, where he might do something like rapidly spin while clinging to a lone strap with just one arm.
Earlier this month, 39-year-old Wong, who emigrated from Hong Kong to the UK two years ago, appeared on Britain’s Got Talent in a mesmerising performance that showed off his skills.
Wong’s audition on the long-running talent show was a mix of acrobatics and water dancing that had some audience members on their feet. His act received a “yes” vote from all four judges, allowing him to proceed to the next round.


“It is a high-stress environment for performers but the audience was really supportive,” Wong says of his audition that was taped in October.
“As long as you’re prepared and know what you’re doing, then the audience will be on your side.”
Speaking via video call from his adopted home city of London, Wong says he preferred video games to sports growing up. He was about 15 years old when dance came onto his radar.
In 2008, he graduated from the City University of Hong Kong with a degree in linguistics, but was not keen on a desk job. It was the stage that beckoned him.
His first dance role was as a hyena in the Festival of the Lion King musical at Hong Kong Disneyland. He also danced on stage with Hong Kong singers G.E.M. and Jacky Cheung Hok-yau and performed in musicals on cruise ships.
Most recently he took part in Come Alive: The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular, a high-energy circus-meets-musical-theatre production in London.


Wong says his love for aerial straps, a type of apparatus with which various feats of strength and flexibility can be performed, took off in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I was in Hong Kong during the pandemic and a lot of performing artists lost their jobs,” he says. “I wanted to learn something new and I had the time and the energy to do it. Aerial straps have always been something I found really cool and wanted to get into.”
They also held the drama he was craving.
Before taking up aerial, Wong was doing callisthenics, a form of strength training that uses one’s own body weight as a form of resistance to perform full-body exercises.

But he found it lacking in artistry and self-expression. Aerial straps, on the other hand, which allow the performing of holds, twists, rolls and other manoeuvres, presented the perfect marriage of dance and strength.
“The discipline involves using two long, thin and really strong non-elastic straps with a hand loop at the bottom that you can tie the wrist around,” Wong says.
“A lot of the basic movements overlap with gymnastic rings, so it requires a great deal of upper-body strength, shoulder mobility and core strength.
“Beginners might have to go through a lot of strap-specific conditioning to slowly build up strength before they try anything technical.
“People who have previously trained in gymnastics will find the discipline easier because they would have done the foundation work.”
Wong’s Instagram account (@jwochun) showcases videos of his impressive acrobatic antics – and equally impressive sculpted physique.












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A post shared by @badbui



But rather than focusing on aesthetics, Wong says his training focuses on function, which means being physically fit enough to handle the workload that comes with being a performer.
“I’m performing full-time on multiple aerial apparatus, so my training is more functional and less about aesthetics,” he says. That focus includes specific training for aerial acrobatics, with some general weight training and resistance training.
As for his diet, Wong admits he is not particularly strict.
“I think it’s because of the sheer amount of energy that we expend every single day,” he says. “I do have a tendency to eat lighter during the day so I don’t have an energy dip.”
He says a typical meal could be rice crackers with hummus and avocado.

The popularity of aerial and circus performances is on the rise, Wong says.
Much of the hype is due to the appeal of Cirque du Soleil – the Canadian entertainment company and world’s largest contemporary circus producer that in May brings its Kooza show back to Hong Kong.’
“Cirque du Soleil completely revolutionised and modernised what circus is,” Wong says.
As for those spins, it begs the question: does Wong get dizzy?
“I get asked that a lot and the answer depends on the speed of the spins.
“I’ve been doing the fast spins for a while, so when I come out of them, I get a little dizzy for the first two or three seconds, but I can quickly regain my focus.
“It’s something that you just need to practise … The more you do it, the quicker your body finds ways to adapt.”
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


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Jimmy Wong danced at Disneyland and with Cantopop stars before turning to aerial straps. He talks about his journey and staying in top shape


Jimmy Wong danced at Disneyland and with Cantopop stars before turning to aerial straps. He talks about his journey and staying in top shape.


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Jimmy Wong danced at Disneyland and with Cantopop stars before turning to aerial straps. He talks about his journey and staying in top shape