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Picture yourself in a seat in a theater, with red velvet cushions and colorful lights.
Women on tightropes and men on a seesaw soar to incredible heights.
View Chi in the sky – with balance.
OK, so it’s not exactly the psychedelic stuff of Beatles songs, but “Chi: A New Era in Acrobatics” is its own kaleidoscope of motion and imagery. The 26-member troupe of jugglers, acrobats, tumblers and gymnasts will bring its “theatrical spectacular” to the Maine Center for the Arts on Tuesday for a performance sure to bring viewers to the edge of their seats.
Chi promises all the hold-your-breath-and-close-your-eyes drama of last season’s wildly popular performance by the National Acrobats of Taiwan. This troupe also incorporates elements of traditional Chinese acrobatics and martial arts in its repertoire. But Chi has more of a Cirque de Soleil flourish.
“The traditional acrobatics were invented over time with the concept of chi,” troupe leader Liu Chun Jie said through a translator. “The updated vision of artistically designed costumes and modern production, that’s what makes this the new era of acrobatics.”
Derived from Taoist philosophy, “chi” literally translates as “energy,” or “breath.” But performers in the award-winning Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe transcend this definition through a juxtaposition of peaceful, contemplative acts and scenes of passion and power.
“This show is trying to accent the balance between female energy and male energy so they represent the ultimate harmony of chi,” Liu said.
The performers – 12 women stacked on one bicycle, for instance, or a man who leaps through hoops – walk the fine line between passivity and action, energy and restraint, yin and yang.
“As an acrobat, they understand that [element of] chi, so they act out the balancing energy of yin and yang,” Liu said. “Yin is female, yang is male. Yin is passive energy. Yang is active energy. They achieve the balance and harmony of these two opposite energies, and that’s projected through the acts and presentation of the show.”
The acrobats in Chi meld the spiritual and physical in a way that is only possible through years of training. They range in age from 20 to 28, and most of them enrolled in acrobatics boarding schools at age 7 or 8. There, they studied six days a week for a decade or more.
Through their learning, they teach. Pretzel-like contortions and feats of muscular athleticism require no translation, and it is their hope to foster a greater understanding of Chinese culture among American audiences.
“Everybody loves to watch acrobatic shows, regardless of what language we speak or the age differences,” Liu said.
Chi truly is a family performance. Children will be spellbound by the spectacle of it all, but so will adults.
“For children, we do have the intention to introduce Chinese acrobatic traditions and help them understand better the Chinese culture,” Liu said. “For adults, it’s just simply to provide a great experience. A true magic show.”
Chi: A New Era in Acrobatics
Where: Maine Center for the
Arts, Orono
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8
Tickets: $23-$29, (800) MCA-TIXX or www.ume.maine.edu/~mca/
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