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]
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]
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]
Niu became a U.S. citizen in 1997. [14]
As much as American audiences love Red Panda, she is equally fond of the United States, becoming a citizen in 1997.