Take a tumble at Wharton Center

National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China roll into town

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Wednesday, Oct. 26 —The Chinese government established the National Acrobats of the People’s Republicof China in 1950 to preserve an art form that’s existed for about 3,000 years.This year marks the first time the acrobats have toured the United States andCanada; the tour stops at the Wharton Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27.

In their homeland,the National Acrobats maintain a training facility with over 150 acrobaticresident performers and over 500 students of all ages. It’s become one of thelargest acrobatic and circus arts centers in the world.

The90-minute performance (directed by ZhangHong and Sun Lili) features contortionists, tumblers andballet performers who do their dancing on the shoulders, elbows, palms and armsof a company member. The routines are performed to Chinese and Western pop,opera and folk music.

That’sjust the beginning. Ken Neuhauser of the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., describesa few other highlights: “‘Pagoda of Bowls’ — with two acrobats throwing anotherperformer to the top of a human pagoda of three people and bowls balanced onvarious performers’ feet — won the Golden Clown Award in Monaco, an honorconsidered the “Acrobatic Oscar” of the circus world. ‘Diabolo’ is anotherprize winner, having taken the 2005 President’s Award at the InternationalCircus Festival of Tomorrow in Paris. The diabolo is a juggling gizmo thatevolved from the Chinese yo-yo. It’s an oversized spool, whirled and tossedfrom a string connected to two sticks. During the routine, one personmanipulates three diabolos simultaneously behind her back.”

National Acrobats of the People’s Republicof China

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27
Wharton Center
$15-$35
(800) WHARTON
www.whartoncenter.com

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