Taking Care of Show Business.docVIP

Taking Care of Show BusinessA crystal ball hovers in the air as if by magic while performer Lu Xinyi moves his hands and arms around the ball to demonstrate that no hidden strings or supports keep it in place. The ball glitters with the reflection of neon lights along Dingyi Road， Jing’an District， one of the most bustling areas in Shanghai.Lu has performed his routine every Tuesday， Saturday and Sunday since October 2014. Not far from Lu， two men， dressed in brightly-colored clown costumes， make balloon animals. They inflate a number of brightly colored balloons， twisting and turning them and within seconds， well-known and loved characters such as Micky Mouse or Spider Man appear.Lu is a 33-year-old Shanghai native， and the balloon artisans are brothers Wang Shiping and Wang Luping. They are among the first eight street artists to receive official certification for street artists issued by the Shanghai Performing Art Association.A step forwardLu went to Switzerland for college after high school in Shanghai. While in Switzerland， he was captivated by street performers and learned his crystal ball routine and other magic tricks with great passion. His idol is David Copperfield.“Copperfield’s performance is spellbinding. He started his career on the streets，” said Lu， who decided to continue the show in his hometown Shanghai. “I hope one day I could be a magic performer as awesome as he is.”But things were not as optimistic at first. “It was hard to define what I am，” said Lu. “Many people treated me like a beggar and I had to keep an eye out for city management officers， as performing in the streets was still illegal here.”In the eyes of Lu， which reflected clearly in his crystal ball， Shanghai should be more liberal and open to reflect its status as an international metropolis. “Street artists make a city more vivid and alive，” said Lu.Luo was the first to call for a space for street artists in Shanghai， first proposing the idea of legalizing street performances in