Artist: Peking
Acrobats
Genre: Theater
Background: Since 1952, this elite group
of gymnasts, jugglers, cyclists and tumblers has left audiences
around the world spellbound by the graceful athleticism of
their ancient folk art, acrobatics. Transforms 2000-year-old
traditions of agility and grace into an entertaining and breathtaking
show.
In China, acrobatics is a rich and esteemed art form, delicate
and masterful, athletic and entertaining, and rooted in more
than 2,000 years of history and folk tradition. The Peking
Acrobats are their country's very finest, an elite troupe
hand-selected from China's best gymnasts, jugglers, cyclists,
and tumblers whose dazzling displays of contortion, flexibility,
agility, and control routinely amaze sold-out crowds wherever
they perform. Their remarkable feats — daring balancing
maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs, treacherous
wire-walking, and powerful precision tumbling — are
all performed to the live orchestral accompaniment of traditional
Chinese instruments.
The Peking Acrobats’ spellbinding athletic feats represent
a cultural tradition of superb talent and rigorous training—a
legacy that has continued for more than 2,000 years. Many
of the magnificent feats, despite their sophistication, were
performed in ancient times. The Chinese circus has its origins
in the folk arts: tumbling, balancing, and juggling ordinary
household objects. Myth and religion also influenced the acrobatic
performing arts. Throughout the years, the acrobatic arts
have been immensely popular. Today, acrobats in China are
considered artists, and Genretions of families carry on this
highly acclaimed tradition.
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