A spectacle of acts including aerial maneuvers, balancing acts and martial arts -inspired stunts will bring its North American tour to Hammond.
All the way from Beijing, the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China will perform “Cirque Chinois,” one of China’s most acclaimed and influential circus performances.
For almost six decades, the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China has been performing its unique brand of circus, which has had a profound influence on the world circus society, including the Cirque du Soleil, Barnum & Bailey and the Ringling Bros. The acrobatic troupe, founded in 1950, was the first National Performing Arts Troupe to be established by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
The performance boasts the introduction of the “non-animal” circus and has gained worldwide acclaim for signature acts such as the “Great Teeterboard,” “Grand Flying Trapeze,” and “Group Contortion,” acts for which the performers have received numerous international awards and reviews.
After an October performance at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts in Virginia, dancer, choreographer and teacher Dr. Cheryl Paulhus described the evening for the DCMetroTheatreArts website, saying that the show opened “with an elegant atmosphere; the music and exotic costumes evoked a sense of ominous mystery. My eyes were greeted with vast pools of sapphire and ruby light and images of otherworldly beauty, composed of bodies building structures in the air.”
The circus has toured to over 40 countries including Italy, France, Switzerland, New Zealand, Germany and Russia. They own a highly acclaimed institution for acrobatic schooling, training and repertoire in Beijing that teaches hundreds of students and has state of the art training facilities. They also invest in acrobatic science research to keep their acrobatic dedication and standards, regarded highly in China and around the world.
The show will be held on Thursday Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in downtown Hammond. Balcony seats are available for $28, orchestra seats are $32 and loge seats run for $36.
The performance is aimed to awe and mesmerize audiences of all ages. The approximate runtime for the performance is two and a half hours. Tickets can be purchased through the Columbia Theatre’s box office.