The Peking Acrobats
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, December 18, 2009
{please include in all calendar listings}
[high resolution images available upon request]
The Peking Acrobats
“When a show can fill you with the wonder of a 10 year-old,
you know you have had a good time…that’s success!” – Dance Insider
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CALENDAR INFORMATION
WHAT: The Peking Acrobats®
WHEN: Friday, February 19, 2010 • 7:30 PM
WHERE: Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall
PRICES: $32 • $28 • $22
INFO: Since their debut in 1986, THE PEKING ACROBATS have redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. Showcasing tremendous skill and ability, they are masters of agility and grace. Accompanied by live musicians who skillfully play traditional Chinese instruments and high-tech special effects that coalesce with the music and awe-inspiring feats, The Peking Acrobats create an exuberant entertainment event featuring all the excitement and festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival!
TICKET INFORMATION – on sale now
• www.CincinnatiArts.ORG
• (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
• Aronoff Center Ticket Office
• Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4157
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CINCINNATI, OH – THE PEKING ACROBATS® have performed the world over to standing ovations and packed houses, including such far-reaching corners of the globe as Australia, Europe, throughout the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and numerous Asian countries. Now, 2,000 years of tradition, perfection and spectacle returns to Cincinnati on Friday, February 19, 2010 at 7:30 PM at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall as part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2009-10 Season of “Classic Nights Out.”
Daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs...treacherous wire walking...a trick cycling kaleidoscope of magnificent movement...powerful precision tumbling, somersaulting and gymnastics...amazing displays of contortion, flexibility and control...astonishing foot juggling dexterity...incredible balancing feats showcasing tremendous skill and ability...extraordinary exhibits of agility and grace...live musicians displaying their talents by skillfully playing traditional Chinese instruments….high-tech special effects and all the excitement and festive pageantry creating an atmosphere like that of a Chinese Carnival!! All of this is just a part of the magnificent show offered by THE PEKING ACROBATS® from the People's Republic of China. Last year, this engaging troupe marked its twenty-third North American tour.
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.
Each new movement or action takes many years to practice and perfect. Those who have seen THE PEKING ACROBATS® on any of their previous tours can be assured that they will see new, exciting acts and new twists to their old favorites! 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.
THE PEKING ACROBATS® have built a tremendous reputation over the years, performing not only on stages around the globe, but also on many popular television shows, including Nickelodeon’s Unfabulous and Ellen’s Really Big Show, hosted by day-time talk show host and actress, Ellen DeGeneres. They have performed with world-famous symphony orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; performed five consecutive European tours in recent years, visiting such countries as Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands; and been featured in star-studded feature films, including Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s 11.
Their incredible popularity and longevity is a testament to the awesome power of their performances. Their renown continues to grow with each passing year, refining their unique brand of ancient artistry by inspiring crowds of all ages, from all walks of life. A performance by THE PEKING ACROBATS®, therefore, brings with it the opportunity to view the epitome of a rich and ancient folk art tradition in addition to the pageantry and spectacle of the modern Chinese Theatrical Circus.
"Nearly everything the Peking Acrobats did last night was amazing - and stunning, and breathtaking and WOW!” – Seattle Times
"The Peking Acrobats regularly passed from the seemingly impossible to the virtually unbelievable.” – Los Angeles Times
CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS
2009-10 SEASON SPONSORS: THE UNION CENTRAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY (Founding Season Sponsor), DUKE ENERGY, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, LOCAL12 WKRC, FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner)
2009-10 PRESENTING SPONSORS: CityBeat, The Cincinnatian Hotel, Premier Pianos, Natorp’s
2009-10 PROMOTIONAL SPONSOR: The Cincinnati Herald
The Peking Acrobats MEDIA SPONSOR: WARM-98 FM
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