Acrobats amaze audience with skilled stunts

Audience members murmured in amazement Thursday night at Emens Auditorium as the Golden Dragon Acrobats performed their show “Cirque Ziva.”

The performers, part of a trained acrobatic group hailing from China, are the exception to the rules of what the human body is capable of handling. They jumped, twisted, juggled and teetered to a pulsing and majestic soundtrack that elegantly showcased what their website calls the country’s 2,500-year-old tradition.

Various backdrops depicting traditional Chinese art literally set the stage for each of the various combinations of performers. Under sharp spotlights, silhouetted by a starry-skied backdrop, or tinted by the jewel-toned stage lights, the performers’ energy radiated into the crowd with each movement. The collection of costumes shimmered as the beading and embroidery caught the lights.

Each stunt topped the previous one; a team of four female contortionists tilted and entwined their bodies to create human sculptures and other performers juggled various objects in inventive ways. A team of men dove through hoops of various heights, not so much as a hem brushing the hoop’s edge. Each of these feats was accentuated by the timpani rhythm, by the folk whistle and by traditional chanting.

A deep voice over the loudspeaker warned, “What you are about to see is extremely dangerous. Please do not attempt this in your own home.” 

As the drum cadence fired up again, a short, muscular man, in yet another light-catching costume, began balancing on a chair. He stacked another on top, then another and another, until he was poised, upside-down, on one hand at the top of a six-chair tower. After he pulled his legs in and settled back onto his feet, he gestured to the crowd for more applause. With a mischievous grin on his face, he called out to the crowd, “Want more?” 

The rest of the show utilized flags swishing through the air, a unicycle wheeling across the stage floor and glowing cylinders steadied on string, like detached Yo-Yos. At one point, there were nine acrobats on top of a moving bicycle, stacked and hooked like human velcro. The performers sent gracious gestures to the crowd after each terrific stunt.

Audiences appreciated the skills they observed. Mark and Jeri McCorkle, who heard about the show through a friend, came on a whim.

“It was a good excuse to get out of the house in this weather. It was pretty spontaneous, for us,” said McCorkle.

Throughout the entirety of the show, children’s hushed voices floated through the music of “Whoa, cool," “Mom, look” and “How did they do that?”

Knowing audiences love and welcome the unique showmanship of the team is just one thing tour manager Randy Williamson loves about his job.

“I love the people. I love touring. I love these guys, they’re great,” he said, but he made it clear that showtime is showtime.

“When it’s five minutes before the show, they’re backstage stretching,” he said while mimicking the performers. “There’s no holding hands and singing Kum-ba-ya,” he said with a chuckle.

Cirque Ziva is solemn and silly. Multi-directional. Multi-dimensional. One foot, two feet, no hands and dramatically dynamic. The art that started out in ancient China has evolved into a time-honored and contemporary craft with no end in sight.

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