The Peking Acrobats
Since its founding in 1986, the Peking Acrobats have redefined our perceptions of the ancient art. They perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs and display their technical prowess at trick-cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. They push the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control. The traditional Chinese music combined with high-tech special effects and awe-inspiring acrobatics to create an entertainment event with the festive pageantry of Chinese Carnival.
The Peking Acrobats are part of a Chinese tradition rooted in centuries of the country’s history and folk art. Tradition says that each generation of acrobats must add its own improvements and embellishments to what has come before. It is a great honor to be called an acrobat and The Peking Acrobats seek to uphold the rich and ancient folk art tradition while bringing it to new heights by integrating 21st-century technology.
The Peking Acrobats have been featured on numerous television shows and specials, including The Wayne Brady Show, That’s Incredible, ABC’s Wide World of Sports, and NBC’s Ring in the New Year Holiday Special. The Peking Acrobats set the world record for the Human Chair Stack on Fox Network’s Guinness Book Primetime Special; they balanced six people precariously atop six chairs 21 feet in the air without safety lines. Several of the acrobats have appeared on the big screen. Company members were featured in Steven Soderbergh’s hit film Ocean’s Eleven, and alumnus Shaobo Qin also appeared in the film’s two sequels, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen.
In 2003, the group achieved another milestone with an orchestral debut at the Hollywood Bowl. They appeared as part of the “Fireworks Season Finale,” and blended their unique brand of acrobatics with the sound of the 100-piece Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. They have since performed with the Atlanta Symphony; the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, featuring members of the Chicago Symphony; the San Diego Symphony; the Cincinnati Pops; the Buffalo Philharmonic; and the San Francisco Symphony.
Since its European debut in Italy in 2005, the Acrobats have performed in seven European countries on six European tours. The Italian tour covered 12 cities over five weeks and played to sold-out crowds and critical acclaim.
Clive Davis of The New York Post has said that “The Peking Acrobats (are) pushing the envelope of human possibility,” combining agility and grace in remarkable feats of “pure artistry.”
