The Shanghai Acrobats of the People's Republic of China program

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COLUMBIA ARTISTS PRODUCTION Andrew S. Grossman, Producer

Friday

OCT 14

7:00 pm Direct from Shanghai, the P.R. of China,

The Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China performing

Shanghai Nights

This event is made possible through the generous support of the Jerry and Jacki Hannah Family Fund.

Tonight’s performance and Family Fun Festival are sponsored by

Your Lawrence Hy-Vee stores are proud supporters of The Lied Center’s School Performance initiatives. We believe all children benefit from the performing arts and are happy to play a role in making these performances available to all Lawrence-area schools.

OCT 14 | Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China

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Shanghai Nights Constructing Shanghai: Grand Trampoline Many high-rise buildings have been constructed along the Huangpu River of Shanghai. When night falls, each building becomes a bright piece of scenery with its own style. The rise of those buildings cannot neglect the builders’ hard work. This act combines the trampoline with acrobatic skills. The acrobats jump three stories high on the trampoline and perform one-and-a-half circle somersaults past the wall, backward somersaults past the window, jumping like dance-walking on the wall, etc.

With humorous actions, the performers present a happy scene of construction.

Marriage at Chinese New Year Eve: Adagio with Carpets Spinning The Chinese New Year and Spring Festival come after winter. Red lanterns are hung everywhere. The signs of double happiness are put up in all windows. The red veil covering the bride’s head and the red bridal sedan is lifted up and comes over.

Accompanied by the red blessing, the girl gets married. This program evolves from solo carpet spinning to pair contortions. The cooperation between the actor and actress integrates hardness with softness. Apart from increasing the difficulty of stunts, the performance fills the act with beautiful, romantic color. This act won first place in 2005 at the Festival International du Cirque de Domont.

Shanghai Dragons: Hoop-diving The dragon has always been the symbol of the Chinese nation. More than 10 acrobats perform Shanghai Dragons. They roll forward and dive through hoops with somersaults and twist jumps. They pass through the higher dragon-shaped hoops. Their dynamic performance shows the confidence and optimistic spirit of the Shanghai people to change their lives for the better. This act won the silver award at the China National Acrobatics Competition and was a part of the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Shanghai Spring Flowers: Plates Spinning Shanghai will become an ocean of flowers when spring comes. This act features plate-spinning stunts, with every plate covered in colorful flowers, blooming in beautiful nature. More than 10 acrobats participate in the beautiful scenery, like flower fairies. They perform standing up, upside down and with partners while spinning plates. All acrobats present a beautiful picture of happiness and harmony.

Magician in Black of Shanghai Cabaret: Playing Cards At a night cabaret in Shanghai, Mr. Jiang Yaping, the famous magician in black, is performing his outstanding magic “Shadow of Cards.” Using the playing cards as props, Jiang performs new and creative stunts using artistic charm and his own originality. This act won gold at the 8th China National Acrobatics (Magic) Competition in 2010.

Butterfly Lovers: Aerial Silk act The inspiration of this program is from the well-known love story, Butterfly Lovers, in ancient South China, that reflects a young couple’s yearning for free love. The actor

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OCT 14 | Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China

and actress perform on two aerial silk ribbons, which are made of unique Chinese silk fabrics. They perform as Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, moving and dancing trippingly in the air. They are accompanied by girls dancing with butterflies around them on the stage. This act is an original of the Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China. The acrobats perform in the air, pairs hanging upside-down, bite-spinning, legs splitting, forward horizontal support and backward horizontal support, etc. to present the complicated emotional changes of the Butterfly Lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. This act won gold at the 21st Golden Circus Festival in Italy.

Shanghai Putuo Temple: Head Jumping Monks Mount Putuo is an island located to the southeast of Shanghai in Zhoushan, a prefecture of Zhejiang province, China. It is famous in Chinese Buddhism and is considered the bodhimanda of Avalokitesvara (Guan Yin), a revered Bodhisattva in many parts of East Asia. Mount Putuo is one of four sacred mountains in Chinese Buddhism, the others being Mount Wutai, Mount Jiuhua and Mount Emei. This act presents a scene of monks on Mount Putuo, doing morning exercise and practicing martial arts. It combines acrobatics with the inspiration of Buddhism’s wisdom and Shaolin Kung Fu. This dynamic head-jumping act is a unique performance of the Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China. It won gold at the 4th Russian International Circus Festival, the 9th China National Acrobatics Competition, and the Gold Presidential Award at the 17th International Circus Festival in Massy, France. It was entered into the finals of the Guinness World Records Competition twice and won Guinness World Records certificates issued by the headquarters of Guinness World Records in London.

20-Minute Intermission Shanghai Countryside: Boys and Girls Straw Hats Juggling About thirty kilometers away from Shanghai, there is a place called She Shan. It has beautiful and picturesque scenery. The people of She Shan are industrious and brave. Whenever the harvest season comes, the boys and girls take out their straw hats and come to the edge of the field to play. In this act, the Shanghai Acrobats present the lively and happy atmosphere of the She Shan style celebration.

Shanghai Fashion Magic: Magic at Latin Steps Shanghai is a metropolis of multicultural fusion. People from around the world arrive in the city and bring with them the culture and arts of different regions. This magic shows the audience the fire of youth and changes of beauty. Dancing with Latin music steps, the magician lady brings us into a dream-world of fantasy with silky umbrellas falling and appearing from nowhere. Full of aestheticism and illusion, this performance won silver at the 6th China’s National Magic Competition and gold at the West Lake International Magic Competition in China.

OCT 14 | Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China

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Shanghai Porcelain: Contortion Girls The artistic ceramics of Shanghai can be called extraordinary workmanship that is incredibly beautiful. Five girls on the stage contort their flexible bodies in costumes of Chinese blue and white porcelain. Their different change of movements paint in the audience’s mind the live images of the blue and white porcelain beauty that has long been a tradition in Chinese history.

The Shanghai Fishermen’s Joy of Harvest: Lasso Performance Shanghai is located in the East China Sea and South China Sea basin with colorful ocean culture. The acrobats on the stage throw off every lasso and mark out many circles in the air, symbolizing the waves stirred up by the passing ships. The actors run across and jump through the lassos from time to time. This performance reflects the happiness of fishermen and merchants at the sea harvest.

Clowning Acrobatics: Springing Bowls to Head on Rola Rola Onstage, the acrobats wear exaggerated and gorgeous costumes to make the audience burst out laughing. Encouraged by their partner, the acrobat stands on the roller bola and spring the bowls onto their head by utilizing the lever on the board.

The acrobat uses one foot to step on the board and the other to hook two bowls and spring the two bowls onto their head at the same time. At last, the acrobat bites five cups and respectively springs the small spoons into the cups. This act integrates the traditional acrobatic bowls kick and Chinese clowning elements. The props used by the acrobats are bowls, cups and spoons. The acrobats complete one breathtaking trick after another in a funny atmosphere and give the audience a happy time.

Lotus Blossom: Icarian Umbrellas The implied meaning of Lotus is noble and moral integrity coming out of the dirty mud unsoiled. The acrobats juggle umbrellas on their feet like lotus fairies. The Icarian Umbrellas Foot Juggling breaks traditional constraints so that the umbrellas foot juggling cannot leave the chaired cushion. Based on multiple umbrella foot-juggling stunts, this act now adds more tricks, like kicking out and catching umbrellas and multiple umbrellas, foot juggling on shoulders, etc. and becomes more lively, smart and pleasing to the eye. This act won the company many awards both at home and abroad, including the gold medal at the Cirque de Demain festival in France, the gold medal at the 21st Golden Circus Festival, Italy, gold at the China National Acrobatics Competition, gold in the 3rd National Acrobatics Competition of the 8th China Acrobatics Golden Chrysanthemum Festival, and the gold at the 10th China Wuhan International Acrobatics Festival.

Grand Trampoline Drums With the sound of gongs and drums, this original act by the Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China is full of the happy and warm atmosphere of the Shanghai people at a festival. The acrobats jump and perform somersaults. Apart from bringing audiences stunts and exciting scenes, this act is full of the touch of humanity.

Finale The finale will be presented by all performers.

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