UW News

January 8, 2009

Peking Acrobats return to Meany Hall

The Peking Acrobats will perform at Meany Hall as part of the UW World Series at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10. The company is well-known for its amazing discipline, precision and strength, as well as for its colorful, high-energy performances. They have been a crowd favorite at previous Meany Concerts.


Daring maneuvers atop a pagoda of chairs, wire-walking, tumbling, somersaulting, and juggling are all part of performances of this troupe of Olympic-caliber acrobats. In China, this ever-evolving folk art form dates back to the Ch’in Dynasty (211 to 207 BC).


Audiences may also recognize the Peking Acrobats from some of their film and television appearances. The troupe set the world record for the Human Chair Stack on FOX’s Guinness World Records Primetime when they astounded audiences as they balanced six people precariously atop six chairs 21 feet in the air without safety lines. The company has been featured on numerous other 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 company has also appeared on Nickelodeon’s hit show Unfabulous and Ellen’s Really Big Show, hosted by comedian and talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres.


Members of the Peking Acrobats have appeared in the films Ocean’s 11, Ocean’s 12, and Ocean’s 13 and were the featured performers at the Hollywood premiere party for the opening of Ocean’s 13. The Peking Acrobats have also recently released their first-ever DVD, which was filmed during their 2005 North American tour as a television special for HDNet. The DVD is available for sale at performances and also online at www.iaipresentations.com.


Tickets for the Meany performances are $35, $32 for subscribers and $20 for students. They are available by phone at 206-543-4880, online at www.uwworldseries.org, or in person at the UW Arts Ticket Office.