Congratulations to Mr Lu Guang Rong! NICA’s Head of Circus Studies has been honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) as announced on Australia Day 2015 for his services to the performing arts as a director, performer and aerial designer.

Mr Lu graduated from the Nanjing Drama School in the early 1970’s. Following this, he performed and toured with the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe around the world until 1987.

Mr Lu was an original member of “Nanjing I” and “Nanjing II”, a cultural exchange project between Australia and Nanjing Province in China in the 1980s. Mr Lu was instrumental in influencing the circus training landscape in Australia through these projects.

Following a celebrated international career as a circus performer of much renown, he settled in Australia and began a long relationship with circus arts education and training. Some highlights of Mr Lu’s work include the creation of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus training program, designing and creating the Pole Act for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, his position as lead trainer/advisor in the pilot project which lead to the establishment of NICA, and his position as Head of Circus at NICA for the past 14 years.

Everyone at NICA is so proud of his achievements and so grateful for his contribution to the circus arts horizon in Australia, and we all send our heartiest congratulations to Mr Lu.

Image: David Wyatt

28 Jan 2015