Over the past two decades, the Michigan men’s gymnastics program has cultivated some of the nation’s top athletes while also redefining what it means to compete at an elite level.
At the center of this evolution is Yuan Xiao, who has served as the Wolverines’ head coach for the past five years. During Xiao’s time in Ann Arbor, Michigan has won Big Ten Titles, the NCAA Championship and sent multiple gymnasts to the Olympics. But Xiao’s philosophy extends beyond the traditional competitive focus, emphasizing success equals a blend of athleticism and artistry.
“It’s a very similar performer and in the stage and competing for all support,” Xiao told The Michigan Daily. “That’s why our sports call the artist gymnastics, because the artists that goes first. You know, people love to see people doing all supports and also show they are performing first.”
This approach is influenced in part by Xiao’s wife Julia, a former Cirque du Soleil performer, whose experience in one of the most visually stunning and artistically ambitious performance companies in the world has shaped her view on training. Julia and Xiao have changed how the Wolverines think about movement, expression and storytelling in their routines.
“After we performed, we had a program done, the entire audience (stood) up for three to five minutes, just applause,” Xiao said. “They never see us perform like it that way. So that (gave) (Julia) a beautiful memory. (I’ll) never forget because of the performance, you can just catch everyone’s heart. People never see, it’s amazing.”
Rather than simply training athletes to meet technical standards and go for the highest scores, Xiao encourages his gymnasts to explore personal expression and the performative aspects of the sport that haven’t been culturally accepted in men’s gymnastics until recently.
“There’s a stigma around artistry and performing arts that has often meant men’s gymnastics strays away from what is obviously performance aspects in women’s gymnastics,” Michigan program assistant Kavan Puri told The Daily. “The stigma of trying to make men’s gymnastics seem more masculine led to this cultural athletic shift away from women’s gymnastics to where there was very little artistry in men’s gymnastics. But I think over the past few years with athletes such as (junior) Charlie Larson, but also athletes around the world at the Olympic stage embracing artistry has brought that back to the forefront.”
The Wolverines are undoubtedly a part of this movement Puri describes. And Larson, who specializes on the floor event, is a prime example of such creativity.
Floor — considered to be one of the more creative events — allows for gymnasts like Larson to have personal freedom when it comes to creating routines and picking the music. Larson uses his mix of athleticism and creative liberty, adding double backflips and double layouts throughout his routine. This creativity and leeway that the event provides gives Larson the ability to put his own spin on the sport of men’s gymnastics and allows him to view his routine more like a Cirque Soleil inspired performance.
For senior Robert Noll, who competed on still rings and high bars in the 2025 season, artistry isn’t as visible as it is on floor. But even in these events, Xiao encourages athletes to consider form, fluidity and the subtle ways in which their personal style can enhance the audience’s experience. It’s about moving with intention and presence, even when the spotlight doesn’t directly allow for dance or choreography.
Noll himself has always aspired to be a part of Cirque, envisioning a future where the skills honed in the gym such as discipline and precision required in gymnastics, combined with an understanding of expression and performance, can make the transition from sport to stage more natural. By training under Xiao’s philosophy, Noll is able to compete with a team at Michigan while also exploring the artistry and showmanship that Cirque demands.
“Gymnastics is an individual sport, but you’re a team,” Noll told The Daily. “No one’s out there on the event with you, but your performance affects the team. Every routine counts, and every 10th (of a point) matters, and something like Cirque (du) Soleil, it’s not like competition, but everything you do affects everyone around you. It’s like a puzzle piece. So learning how to compete with other people relying on you would translate well.”
Ultimately, the Cirque du Soleil influence is more about cultivating a mindset that values expression alongside achievement. It teaches athletes to move with intention, to embrace their individuality and to perform with awareness of both self and team.
For the Wolverines, this philosophy is paying off, not just in team cohesion and individual confidence, but in national recognition. Athletes are not just executing skills — they are performing, connecting and expressing.
As the sport itself evolves, the Wolverines are pushing the boundaries of what men’s gymnastics can be — a place where athleticism meets artistry, and every routine is both a technical feat and a performance to be remembered with the guidance of Xiao.
