CLEMSON, SC - The agile and athletic 25-member Golden Dragon Acrobats will seem to defy the law of gravity, balance everyday objects with their feet and on their noses and bend their bodies into impossible positions at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25...
CLEMSON, SC - The agile and athletic 25-member Golden Dragon Acrobats will seem to defy the law of gravity, balance everyday objects with their feet and on their noses and bend their bodies into impossible positions at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25.
“The Golden Dragon Acrobats represent the best of a time-honored tradition that began in China more than 25 centuries ago,” said Brooks Center Director Lillian Harder. “The acrobats bend like rubber, spin umbrellas with their feet, scale poles like cats and build human pyramids on moving bicycles. The show is sure to leave the audience gasping for air.”
In the act titled “Contortion,” a performer stands on her hands, arches her back and with one foot holds up a tiered mini-chandelier made of tiny water glasses. She then balances a second chandelier on her other foot, then another with her nose and another with her mouth.
In “Ball Juggling,” acrobats rest on elevated chairs and use their feet to juggle several soccer balls at once. They flip the balls from person to person.
While many historical records provide evidence for the development of Chinese acrobats as far back as the Xia Dynasty (4,000 years ago), it is commonly believed that the art form did not become widely popular until approximately 2,500 years ago when it began to capture the attention of country’s emperors.
Since that time, Chinese acrobatics have evolved into many forms of performance, including dance, opera, wushu (a Chinese martial art) and sports. However, the impact of Chinese acrobatics goes beyond the boundaries of the stage, as it has played an important role in the cultural exchange between China and Western nations, such as the United States.
The Golden Dragon Acrobats hail from Cangzhou, located in the Hebei province of the People’s Republic of China. Founded in 1978 by Danny Chang, the company has toured the United States for three decades, visiting all 50 states. In 2005, the company made its Broadway debut at the New Victory Theatre, receiving two Drama Desk Awards nominations for their performance. The troupe also has performed in 65 countries across the world.
Tickets to the Golden Dragon Acrobats performance are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets and information are available at www.clemson.edu/Brooks and by calling the Brooks Center box office at (864) 656-7787 from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.