In 1989, the Artistic Director of a San Francisco circus, Judy Finelli, met briefly with Lu Yi, the Director of the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe, in upstate New York. It was, as Judy now calls it, "a moment that changed circus forever." Lu Yi would move to San Francisco to teach the 2000-year-old art of Chinese acrobatics to the jugglers, clowns and aerialists of Judy's 15-year old Pickle Family Circus.

This book looks at the 20 years after Lu Yi's arrival and how his acrobatic training and his students' prowess changed San Francisco and Nanjing, as well as circuses around the world, including Cirque du Soleil and The 7 Fingers.