The Peking Acrobats
A troupe of China's most gifted tumblers, contortionists, jugglers, cyclists, and gymnasts complemented by live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments bring their 2,000-year-old tradition of acrobatics to S.B.
When: Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013, 3 p.m.
Where: Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara
Cost: $28 - $65
Age limit: All ages
Categories: Performance art
Description:
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 an American opera star. In China there are approximately 100,000 acrobats studying at schools dedicated to the art. After ten or eleven years of extensive tutoring, often beginning as early as age 5 or 6, 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. For centuries, dating back to the Ch'in Dynasty (221 B.C. - 207 B.C.), Chinese acrobats have continued to perfect an evolving folk art form. Tradition demands that each generation of acrobats add its own improvements and embellishments. It is telling that the Chinese Acrobatic tradition just gets stronger, due to the continued innovation of the artists and the endless enthusiasm from their adoring public.
Phone: 805-899-2222
Event posted Jan. 2, 2013
Last updated Jan. 8, 2013
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