Red Panda (acrobat)

Rong "Krystal" Niu[1] (born 1970 or 1971[2]) is a Chinese American acrobat who performs under the stage name Red Panda. Her act involves riding a 7-foot (2.1 m) tall unicycle while catching and balancing multiple ceramic 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]

Red Panda performing at a Cleveland Cavaliers game in 2018.

Early life

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

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 include 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]

References
  1. 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. "The Legend of the Red Panda: NBA Halftime's Can't Miss Act". ESPN Daily. April 8, 2022. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  4. Fischer, Jake (2018-08-29). "Behind the scenes with NBA mainstay Red Panda". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  5. Skrbina, Paul; Thompson, Phil (February 16, 2017). "Dish-juggling Red Panda dazzles Northwestern fans". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  6. Maine, D'Arcy (2017-06-06). "Acrobat Red Panda: Performing 'gives me a sense of worthiness'". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  7. 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. Difilippo, Bill (October 22, 2015). "The Grizzlies Are Bringing Back Famed Halftime Performer 'Red Panda' For Opening Night". Dime. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  10. 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.
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