The National Acrobats and Circus of the People's Republic of China to Bring PEKING DREAMS to VPAC, 10/4

VPAC's brand new Play Date series begins with direct from Beijing -- The National Acrobats and Circus of the People's Republic of China performing PEKING DREAMS October 4 at 3:00 pm in the Great Hall at the Valley Performing Arts Center.

The National Circus and Acrobats of the People's Republic of China was founded in 1953, making it one of the longest running and most distinguished circus troupes in China. PEKING DREAMS, incorporating elements of acrobatics, Chinese circus and Peking Opera, invites audiences into an artistic world full of history and wonder.

PEKING DREAMS features many impressive circus and acrobatic acts such as hats juggling, diving through rings, bicycles, feet juggling with umbrellas, unicycles, adagio of four and grand martial arts. The program also includes traditional circus acts commonly featured under the circus tent, such as aerial silk, solo trapeze, and rope tricks (lasso). This production was performed for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and has been performed over 600 times in front of more than 400,000 people in China, Europe, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Tickets range from $30 - $65 and can be purchased by visiting ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org or calling (818) 677-3000. Valley Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of California State University, Northridge (CSUN), 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8448, at the corner of Nordhoff and Lindley. This event is recommended for ages 4 and older.

Executive Director, Thor Steingraber says, "We are so excited to kick off Play Date, our brand new series of Sunday afternoon family performances, with The National Acrobats and Circus of the People's Republic of China. It's very important to us that we offer programming to audiences of all ages. PEKING DREAMS is a jaw-dropping spectacle that will delight the child in all of us."

The National Circus and Acrobats of the People's Republic of China is especially acclaimed in China because of the unique acts in their program such as Great Teeterboard, Grand Flying Trapeze, Group Contortion, Straw Hats Juggling, Girls' Balance With Bowls and many other outstanding acts. Many of the Artists in the troupe have won international awards including Ms. Li Liping, the first Golden Clown winner from China at the renowned Monte Carlo International Circus Festival and Madame Xia Juhua, the "Chinese Ulanowa" of the Circus World and Chairwoman of the International Chinese Circus Society since the early 1980's.

The Company has won over twenty Gold and Silver medals and various other awards at international circus festivals including the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, Cirque de Demain, Wuqiao International Circus Festival, Wuhan International Circus Festival and China National Acrobatic Competition. The contribution the Company has made to the world circus society is profound. During the 1980's, the Company started to change the concept of the "animal circus" to a new style of "non-animal circus" which influenced the then pioneers of "Cirque du Soleil" who invited many coaches from the Company to teach them the acts such as Balancing Chairs, Bicycle and Chinese Poles, which culminated in the revolutionary program "Circus Reinvented!"

The Company has toured to eighty countries around the world. In 1987, the troupe toured Western Europe for six months as the Great Chinese State Circus. In Fall of 1988, a cast of 75 members and the Company toured to Canada and the U.S. State of Seattle for a three month tour, which included a Giant Panda who traveled to North America and home in the first-class cabin of the planes (a feat which required removing all passenger seats from the planes. The Company performed in France as Cirquede Pekin in 1988 and 1989, three months each year, and was so ecstatically received the French National Television and Radio Company broadcasted the performances for months after the French engagements were finalized. In 1993 and 1994, the Company toured to Germany and Switzerland under the Direction of Mr. Andree Hiller, the world renowned Austrian Artistic Director who Produced the later famous "Africa! Africa!" in 2004. In seasons 2004-2005, 2005-2006 and 2007-2008, the Company toured to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Spain for six to ten months each year as the Great Chinese State Circus under the management of Mr. Henk van der Meijden, the famous European Impresario.

The Company's Flying Trapeze troupe was invited to perform with the United States "Ringling" and "Barnum & Bailey Bros. Circus" Companies in 1999 and "UniverSoul Circus" in 2007. Additionally, the Company has performed in Europe again in 2008 for Swiss Knie Circus, Stuttgart Winter Circus and Amsterdam Winter Circus.

The 1,700-seat LEED Gold certified Valley Performing Arts Center has established California State University, Northridge as a hub for culture and live performing arts in the region. It was recently ranked number three on the Best College Ranking's list of "The 25 Most Amazing College Campus Theaters" in the U.S. and was voted one of the top ten performing arts centers and theaters in Los Angeles by Time Out Los Angeles.

IF YOU GO:

Calendar Listing for The National Circus and Acrobats of The People's Republic of China performing

PEKING DREAMS

Venue: Valley Performing Arts Center, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330

Date: October 4, 2015 at 3:00 pm

Age: Recommended for ages 4 and older.

Tickets: Prices: $30.00 - $65.00; In Person: VPAC Ticket Office, located in the VPAC Courtyard; By Phone: (818) 677-3000; Online: ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org

The October 4 program features:

Acrobatic Master and His Pupils

The Peking courtyard is bathed in bright moonlight. In the dim light of the training room, three children formally become pupils to an acrobatic master. Through patient teaching, the master is determined to pass his art and tradition down to his pupils.

The Drunken Beauty

Amidst hundreds of flowers in bloom, the imperial concubine in the Forbidden City admires the full moon while drinking and toasting. Hanging on the swing of a trapeze, the actress performs a variety of stunts. Beneath her, the beautiful maids of the palace perform the spinning plates.

Martial Art

Inspired by Chinese philosophy and legend, Chinese martial art combines hard and soft elements with the philosophical principles of Yin and Yang. Actors strike, kick, throw, and jump onstage in a jubilant manifestation of freedom and boldness.

Solo On A Pole

This performance represents a perfect combination of energy and beauty beyond compare.

Contortion With Carpets' Spinning

In the Forbidden City, the Emperor and his maids drink wine and dance. Artfully waving long sleeves, the maids sway and twirl with a tapestry. This act is a combination of dancers' long sleeves in classical Chinese dance, contortion and carpet spinning, and a reflection of suppleness and beauty.

Hoop Diving

Everyone is merely a transient guest in Beijing, a fast -developing modern city, and each visitor is prone to a sense of loneliness. This seemingly negative attitude is a vivid picture of how helpless the people of Beijing sometimes feel. Young people work at an extreme pace and constantly achieve new speed records. The two actors sweep past two hoops on the table, backward somersault past five hoops, execute a 360-degree twist past five hoops, and backward somersault past six hoops. The actors perform with enormous vitality, spirit and extraordinary skills in a perfect representation of Peking culture.

Diabolo

Diabolo has a long history in China, initially as a game in the imperial palace and then becoming popular among the greater population. The diabolo craze swept Peking and to this day is known to every household there. The diabolo comes alive in the hands of the girls who fly backwards and forwards, allowing us to see the quickness, gracefulness and even humor of the performers.

Aerial Silk

A boy from Peking is handsome and forthright; a girl from Peking is beautiful and elegant. From acquaintance to friendship, and from friendship to love, the couple represents a moving, romantic story. The actor and actress move and dance with remarkable skill on the colored silk high above the floor. They at times express tender and romantic sentiments, hugging tightly, and at other times gaze deeply into each other's eyes, deeply emphasizing the sentiment and glamour.

Umbrellas, Feet Juggling & Hula Hoops

In autumn, the weather of Beijing is unpredictable: sometimes sunny and peaceful and sometimes raging and stormy. Dexterous and quick in action, the performer juggles umbrellas by feet. The umbrellas fly on the girl's feet and the hoops twirl around the other girls. This act demonstrates the flexibility and beauty of the Chinese circus and acrobatic art.

Straw Hats' Juggling

In old Peking, a rich family marries off their daughter and many people take part in the merry-making. The actors perform various stunts while holding straw hats and spinning them high in the air in this humorous and popular program.

Bicycle Stunts

This act is based on a famous Peking Opera story, The Generals of the Yang Family. Accompanied by music and dressed in the costume of women warriors, the acrobatic girls execute spectacular and stunning tricks on their bicycles.

Balancing On High Chairs

The Great Wall, the greatest miracle created by the people of China, is recognized as a symbol of Peking. It has witnessed thousands of years of Chinese culture; it has heard the drums of war roaring; it has seen countless dynasties rise and fall; it can tell of the vicissitudes of history. In this piece, the actor flawlessly executes various stunning and breathtaking movements on stacked-up chairs.

Pictured: The National Circus and Acrobats of The People's Republic of China - PEKING DREAMS. Photo by CAMI.

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