The Performing Arts Center will play jungle gym to the world-renowned acrobatic troupe the National Acrobats of China at 7 tonight. Cal Poly Arts is proud to present this traveling 35-member group that has mesmerized audiences since 1956 in more than 30 countries. The performance will be a kaleidoscope of talent, featuring martial arts, illusion, stunts, contortionism, cycling and comical repertoire.
Founded over 50 years ago, the award winning performers have maintained a reputation of excellence around the world in countries like Canada, Japan, Italy, England, France and many more. Attendees of the show can expect to see an array of acts such as bench juggling with feet, cycling stunts, handstands on chairs placed on turntables and the crowd-pleasing plates spinning routine. All segments of the performance will come alive to traditional Chinese music as well as vibrant, colorful costuming.
Steve Lerian, director of Cal Poly arts, said this performance will mark the first time the National Acrobats grace Cal Poly with their talents and said that the show will include “spectacular feats of daring.”
“They do a bit where they stack 12 to 14 chairs on top of each other and do handstands and balancing on top of the chairs,” he said. “They do a lot of flying; acrobatics on ropes on the stage. They do a lot of amazing tumbling things and they do balancing where one person will balance multiple candelabras while doing contortionist sort of activities.”
Lerian said that the show will contain the seemingly impossible feat of operating a bicycle with 15 people aboard the single bike. He summed up the show by saying that it would be “fun on a lot of different levels,” because along with the high-flying gymnastics and illusion, there is comedic value to the show.
“It’s all kinds of great fun,” Lerian said. “It is a whole-family type of thing, with lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the audience.”
Lerian said that the main aspect of the show is the fact that it is “really fun to watch; it’s not brain surgery.” He thinks that the physical aspects of the performance and the level of fitness the acrobats have attained to achieve these feats will be a prominent reason college-age viewers in particular will be interested.
Peter Wilt, interim director of Cal Poly Arts said that acrobatic performances have been extremely popular in the past at Cal Poly and judging by ticket sales thus far, this show looks to be no different.
“They have always been tremendously popular,” he said. “They are well priced and they allow us to offer a price that a family can afford to have this type of entertainment.”
Wilt added that the contortionism performed is sure to be a favorite.
“The Chinese are famous for this,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the feats of strength they do.”
The show is for all ages except infants. Student rush tickets will be available one hour before curtain priced at $10 each, or at the Performing Arts Center Ticket Office, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.