THE PEKING ACROBATS Come to The Granada Theatre, 1/13

THE PEKING ACROBATS, a troupe of China's most gifted tumblers, contortionists, jugglers, cyclists, and gymnasts complemented by live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments will bring to Santa Barbara and The Granada Theatre their 2,000-year-old tradition of acrobatics. THE PEKING ACROBATS will appear as part of The Granada Theatre Concert Series on Sunday, January 13 at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $28 to $65 and are available now at the Granada Theatre Box Office, 1214 State Street, Santa Barbara; by phone at (805) 899-2222; and online at www.granadasb.org.

Daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs...trick cycling...a 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-sixth North American Tour following sold-out headline Theatre Tours from 1986 - 2011. And now, THE PEKING ACROBATS return to North American soil for their Twenty-Seventh North American Tour where they will continue to impress audiences with their unique brand of ancient artistry.

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.

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 old favorites, celebrating twenty-seven years of awesome entertainment! For this tour, THE PEKING ACROBATS will again be pulling out all the stops, to make this their most memorable tour to date. Featuring the acrobats performing their unique brand of artistry in incredible costumes, with dazzling special effects, and live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments, who share the stage with THE PEKING ACROBATS, adding yet another stunning dimension to THE PEKING ACROBATS' Twenty-Seventh North American Tour!

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. As the Seattle Times has reported: "Nearly everything the Peking Acrobats did last night was amazing - and stunning, and breathtaking and WOW!" and Chris Pasles of the Los Angeles Times stated: "The Peking Acrobats regularly passed from the seemingly impossible to the virtually unbelievable." THE PEKING ACROBATS have performed the world over for more than twenty-five years 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, over 2,000 years of tradition, perfection, spectacle, and awesome entertainment comes to Santa Barbara - are you ready to be amazed?

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