BEIJING: Acrobats from China will for the first time perform at the Academy Awards ceremony to be held in Los Angeles Sunday.

Nine artists from east Shandong province will perform gruelling feats of physical prowess at the Kodak Theater, the acrobatic team’s coach Zhou Yonghui told Xinhua.

The performers have earlier won honours at the 34th International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo in 2010.

Acrobats from Russia, France, Brazil and Ukraine are also scheduled to perform at the ceremony.

Yao Jianguo, head of the Shandong provincial acrobatic troupe, said Chinese acrobatics has been around for more than 2,000 years and puts an emphasis on agility and speed.

"It may impress Western audiences, as such art is rarely seen in their countries," he said.