ACT ONE
Opening Ceremony
Let the Spinning Plates Spin
A “Jar”ring Experience
Just Kidding Around
Spinning on Balance
Flying Dragon Straps
What’s All the Hoopla?
Rolling Drums of Thunder
Aerial Adagio
Creative Contortions
Shaolin Showcase

INTERMISSION

ACT TWO
A Change of Face
Darling Diablos
Banhu Music
Tao of Strength
A Little “Egg”citement
Contortion by Candlelight
In the High Chair
Grand Finale

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The program for this performance will be selected from the above. The Management reserves the right to make alterations in the order of the program or in the cast due to illness or any cause whatsoever. The use of cameras, flash or video photography, and tape recorders are strictly prohibited.

The Management recommends that parents advise their children that what they see on stage takes years of practice and should not be tried at home!

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The performance will run approximately 110 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.

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Media Partner: Michigan Public

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Artist Management:
IMG Artists, 7 West 54th Street New York, NY 10019
www.imgartists.com

Company Director/Producer: Mr. Ken T. Hai
Creative/Technical Director/Producer: Mr. Steven Hai
Stage Manager: Mr. Jiang F. Jun
Artist Management: IMG Artists

Daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs, a kaleidoscope of magnificent movement ... powerful precision tumbling, somersaulting, and gymnastics ... incredible balancing feats showcasing tremendous skill and ability ... extraordinary exhibitions of agility and grace ... beautiful costumes and high-tech special effects, all with the excitement and festive pageantry creating the atmosphere of a Chinese Carnival! This is just part of the magnificent show offered by The Peking Acrobats® from the People's Republic of China. The Peking Acrobats® return to North American soil for their 35th North American Tour in 2025, the Chinese Year of the Snake, an ancient symbol of abundance, spirituality, good fortune, and a strong life force, or in Chinese, a person's "Chi." Abundance and strength are indeed the watchwords for this incredible show, as The Peking Acrobats® continue to impress audiences with their unique brand of ancient artistry.

The Peking Acrobats® offer more than a glimpse into the fascinating traditions of China. It consists of sensational Chinese acrobatics, comedy, balancing feats, and much more. A truly authentic and spectacular show for all ages, the grace and precision of the acrobats are the triumph of years of dedicated training and discipline. Chinese acrobatics are, in fact, more than just a series of stunts. Most of these acts clearly demonstrate the achievement of perfection through finding harmony between mind and body, an ancient concept in China. The art form has been transformed from its simple "folk art" roots to the spectacular entertainment event we see today, by centuries of tradition.

Because of the unusual and difficult nature of the feats involved, high honor is conferred upon those skilled enough to become acrobats; an acrobat can be considered the Chinese equivalent of a Western opera star. In China, there are over 100,000 acrobats studying at schools dedicated to the art. After 10 or 11 years of extensive tutoring, often beginning as early as age five or six, the student will join a professional troupe, usually a citywide organization that draws its members regionally. Only the best acrobats find themselves members of an elite world-touring troupe such as The Peking Acrobats®. Their tradition has thrived through the centuries, dating back to the Ch-in Dynasty (221 B.C.-207 B.C.) and Chinese acrobats continue to perfect an ever-evolving folk art form. Each new movement or action takes many years to practice and perfect, and tradition demands that each generation of acrobats add their own improvements and embellishments to their acts. It is telling that the Chinese Acrobatic tradition just gets stronger due to the continued innovation of the artists and the endless enthusiasm from the public.

Each artist in The Peking Acrobats® displays a range of demanding performances, most of them typifying the Chinese Circus ... From the dangerous climbing chair stack high above the audience, about which The New York Times said, "these acrobats provide feats of circus art that reach breathtaking heights of skill," to the gravity defying contortionists and tumblers, to the spectacular Bicycle Pagoda where multiple performers ride atop a single performer on the bicycle; all this and more completes a marvelous and exciting entertainment event for theatre going "youngsters" from nine to 92. As Variety once raved, "A is for Acrobat ... and astounding ... and AMAZING!"

Over the years, company members of The Peking Acrobats® have toured throughout Europe, South and Central America, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Monte Carlo, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Israel, and of course, extensively in the United States. The tremendous response of the audience is a testament to the popularity of their art form, which transcends time to the delight of people of all ages. Those who have seen The Peking Acrobats® on their previous tours can be assured that they will see new, exciting acts and innovative twists on old favorites on this tour to create the most memorable production to date.

They have performed many trail-blazing symphony concerts, combining their unique art form with a traditional symphony orchestra in their inspiring performances that were hailed by the press as "theatrical alchemy at its finest!" Some of these world-famous symphony orchestras include the San Francisco Atlanta, Edmonton Winnipeg and San Diego symphony orchestras, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The Peking Acrobats® have built a tremendous reputation while performing not only on stage, but also on many popular television shows, including Nickelodeon's Unfabulous, and Ellen's Really Big Show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, among several others.

The Peking Acrobats® performed seven consecutive European tours, visiting such countries as Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal. They have also been featured in star-studded feature films, including Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 11, Ocean's 12, and Ocean's 13. Their popularity and longevity as a performing entity is a testament to the awesome power of their performances. Their renown continues to grow with each passing year, refining their unique art form and inspiring crowds of all ages, from all walks of life, performance by performance.

A performance by The Peking Acrobats®, therefore, brings with it the opportunity to experience the epitome of a rich and ancient folk-art tradition with the addition of the pageantry and spectacle of a modern Chinese theatrical circus. Now, over 2,000 years of tradition, perfection, and spectacle entertainment arrives in East Lansing.