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]
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]