New Shanghai Circus Coming to Campus

By Cindy McSperitt · The Mainstream
Published Janurary 24, 2012

Have you ever witnessed a man balancing 20 wooden benches on his head? Or watched a woman teeter to the top of an impossibly stacked construction of glass? If not, then why not take a break from mid-term studies and allow yourself to be awed by these and other acrobatic performances at Jacoby?

The New Shanghai Circus is coming to the Jacoby Auditorium at UCC on Sunday, Feb. 5 for a 1 p.m. performance. This is the first time this performance has been offered in the Roseburg area, and it is a one-time only show.

The acrobats, jugglers and contortionists of the New Shanghai Circus are known for their gravity defying feats of strength and agility which stretch the limits of human possibility. Included in the performance will be jar jugglers, hoop divers, Chinese yo-yo artists, seesaw events and even Kung Fu. These are enhanced by choreography, colorful costumes, atmospheric lighting and music which combine to create the performance.

The Chinese acrobatic tradition dates back to 700 B.C. and developed out of their Lunar New Year harvest celebrations. Acrobats passed their skills down through the generations performing for everyone from city rulers to village people as they traveled across the country. This art form was almost lost as China plunged into economic and social upheaval, according to the New Shanghai Circus company, but since the Revolution of 1949, the government has made a great effort to rekindle this tradition.

Today only a few descendants of the original acrobatic families remain. These individuals have organized China’s traditional entertainers into professional acrobatic troupes with formal academies for training young and promising entertainers. At present, over 120 professional acrobatic troupes travel across China with more than 12,000 performers.

Tickets will be available at the door or online at http://tickets.umpqua.edu (do not use “www”) or by phone at (541) 440-7700. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for seniors and youth (18 and under). Full time UCC students with current student ID receive a discounted price of $15.