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Do IT this week: Layering
Peking Acrobats drop in on Akron for Saturday show at Civic Theatre
By Mary Beth Breckenridge
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 02:30 p.m. EST, Feb 18, 2009
The laws of physics will be temporarily suspended this weekend when the Peking Acrobats take the stage at the Akron Civic Theatre.
How else can you explain their seeming ability to supersede gravity, defy the properties of motion and stretch the limits of the human body?
A troupe of 21 performers will bring their acrobatic act to the Civic for one performance, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Count on an evening of tumbling, balancing, contorting and other feats of almost superhuman ability.
This is hold-your-breath, gasp-in-awe, how-do-they-do-that stuff.
The Peking Acrobats are a touring group of athletes drawn from across China, where acrobatics is a revered form of folk art. The acrobats train part of the year in Beijing and part in Los Angeles, and various groups perform across the United States and abroad, said Cynthia Dike-Hughes, vice president and chief operating officer of IAI Presentations, which produces the shows.
Their program is based on the concept of a Chinese carnival, combining contortionist moves, elements of danger and traditional acts such as a costumed lion dance, Dike-Hughes said. The routines are set to music performed by four musicians on traditional Chinese instruments, and the performers wear costumes and makeup influenced by Beijing opera.
The performers are young — most of them 16 to 25, she said. They speak little during the show, instead entertaining the audience mainly through their skill and exuberance.
''It's a tour de force of acts'' that doesn't require a lot of talk, Dike-Hughes said. ''We stick to the purity of the art form.''
The Peking Acrobats were formed more than 20 years ago when IAI's president, Don Hughes, and artistic director, Ken Hai, traveled to China in search of acrobats to bring back to the States to perform, she said.
The group first toured the United States in 1986, a time when travel between the countries was more limited and cross-cultural exchanges more rare, Dike-Hughes noted. ''It was a way to cross cultural divides and bring people together.''
The acrobats have appeared on TV shows including ABC's Wide World of Sports, That's Incredible, The Wayne Brady Show and Ellen DeGeneres' variety special, Ellen's Really Big Show. They also appeared in the 2001 film remake of Ocean's Eleven, and Peking Acrobats alumnus Shaobo Qin went on to appear in the sequels Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen.
Members of the group set a world record on Fox's Guinness World Records: Primetime by balancing six people on six chairs in a stack reaching 21 feet into the air.
The acrobats' performances showcase their grace, athleticism and daring. Although the show changes year to year, Dike-Hughes said it always includes some signature acts, including the pole act, in which acrobats perform stunts on and between two vertical poles; the strap act, with athletes doing tricks while suspended from nylon tethers, similar to the way male gymnasts perform on the rings; and the spinning plates, an act in which dancers move gracefully while each keeps several plates spinning atop slender poles.
And then there's the bicycle act, featuring a mob stacked precariously atop a single, moving bike.
''That's where the 'don't try this at home' comes into play,'' Dike-Hughes said with a laugh.
She said the Akron show would contain an ''amazing'' contortionist act, some kung fu and a segment using Chinese yo-yos called diablos, but she wouldn't reveal exactly what audiences would see.
''We have a lot of treats,'' she said, ''and I don't want to ruin the surprises.''
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com.
Details
• Event: Peking Acrobats
• When: 8 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St.
• Tickets: $19.50-$32.50
• Information: 330-253-2488 or http://www.akroncivic.com
The laws of physics will be temporarily suspended this weekend when the Peking Acrobats take the stage at the Akron Civic Theatre.
How else can you explain their seeming ability to supersede gravity, defy the properties of motion and stretch the limits of the human body?
A troupe of 21 performers will bring their acrobatic act to the Civic for one performance, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Count on an evening of tumbling, balancing, contorting and other feats of almost superhuman ability.
This is hold-your-breath, gasp-in-awe, how-do-they-do-that stuff.
The Peking Acrobats are a touring group of athletes drawn from across China, where acrobatics is a revered form of folk art. The acrobats train part of the year in Beijing and part in Los Angeles, and various groups perform across the United States and abroad, said Cynthia Dike-Hughes, vice president and chief operating officer of IAI Presentations, which produces the shows.
Their program is based on the concept of a Chinese carnival, combining contortionist moves, elements of danger and traditional acts such as a costumed lion dance, Dike-Hughes said. The routines are set to music performed by four musicians on traditional Chinese instruments, and the performers wear costumes and makeup influenced by Beijing opera.
The performers are young — most of them 16 to 25, she said. They speak little during the show, instead entertaining the audience mainly through their skill and exuberance.
''It's a tour de force of acts'' that doesn't require a lot of talk, Dike-Hughes said. ''We stick to the purity of the art form.''
The Peking Acrobats were formed more than 20 years ago when IAI's president, Don Hughes, and artistic director, Ken Hai, traveled to China in search of acrobats to bring back to the States to perform, she said.
The group first toured the United States in 1986, a time when travel between the countries was more limited and cross-cultural exchanges more rare, Dike-Hughes noted. ''It was a way to cross cultural divides and bring people together.''
The acrobats have appeared on TV shows including ABC's Wide World of Sports, That's Incredible, The Wayne Brady Show and Ellen DeGeneres' variety special, Ellen's Really Big Show. They also appeared in the 2001 film remake of Ocean's Eleven, and Peking Acrobats alumnus Shaobo Qin went on to appear in the sequels Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen.
Members of the group set a world record on Fox's Guinness World Records: Primetime by balancing six people on six chairs in a stack reaching 21 feet into the air.
The acrobats' performances showcase their grace, athleticism and daring. Although the show changes year to year, Dike-Hughes said it always includes some signature acts, including the pole act, in which acrobats perform stunts on and between two vertical poles; the strap act, with athletes doing tricks while suspended from nylon tethers, similar to the way male gymnasts perform on the rings; and the spinning plates, an act in which dancers move gracefully while each keeps several plates spinning atop slender poles.
And then there's the bicycle act, featuring a mob stacked precariously atop a single, moving bike.
''That's where the 'don't try this at home' comes into play,'' Dike-Hughes said with a laugh.
She said the Akron show would contain an ''amazing'' contortionist act, some kung fu and a segment using Chinese yo-yos called diablos, but she wouldn't reveal exactly what audiences would see.
''We have a lot of treats,'' she said, ''and I don't want to ruin the surprises.''
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com.
Details
• Event: Peking Acrobats
• When: 8 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St.
• Tickets: $19.50-$32.50
• Information: 330-253-2488 or http://www.akroncivic.com
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