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THIRTEEN AWARD-WINNING ACTS, ONE ENTERTAINING ACROBATIC SHOW

The Grand China National Acrobatic Troupe just can’t stop winning and amazing their audiences.

Just two days before arriving in the Philippines for a series of shows at the Araneta Coliseum, the group bagged another prestigious acrobatic award at the Guangzhou Acrobatic Competition. Small wonder, because among the more a hundred popular acrobatic groups in their native China, this is the only group that has earned national prestige and the highest accolades as the country’s official acrobatic troupe. In the past 50 years, the troupe has performed in over 100 countries and have enhanced relations between the Chinese people and people all over the world.

Manilans have been raving for the past days about Big Dome’s Christmas offering.  The 52-member troupe has been regaling audiences with thirteen acts that range from somersaulting, plate spinning, pole vaulting, flying high in the air on hoops, and unbelievable body contortions while doing difficult handstands. And each of the thirteen acts have won international recognition in several global competitions.

The folk acts take you back to Old Beijing.  The show starts with a horde of pink clad ladies dancing to fascinating traditional Chinese tunes as they wave their feathered pink fans.

This is followed by a balletic dance of a young teen girl that is punctuated by a perfect arabesque done on tiptoe atop another acrobat’s shoulder! Add to that, the acrobat walks around the stage with the girl gracefully balanced on his shoulder.

This is followed by the fascinating spinning plates act. Several girls spin plates on thin bamboo poles while doing difficult headstands and somersaults in the process. A Christmas element is inserted with a slightly emaciated Santa Claus and some Chinese folk singing.

A boy named “small dragon” is at his best performer’s level as he juggles several balls in lightning speed.  Another girl makes swinging 20 feet up in the air seem peanuts as she caresses the hoop in a variety of anatomy-challenging positions.

Two of the male-dominated acts are the mesmerizing HOOP DIVERS and VERTICAL POLES tricks. In the former, anime looking acrobats do multiple somersaults and go through hoops piled one on top of the other.  In the Vertical Poles, male acrobats adroitly go up the poles palosebo style and defy gravity as they do all sorts of difficult formations while perched on the poles. This act won at the Saint Petersburg International Circus Festival in Russia.

One of the most visually appealing is the acclaimed DIABOLO act where beautiful Chinese maidens with peacock headdresses spin yo-yo like saucers up in the air while they somersault. The DIABOLO act won the Coca-cola Crystal Cup Golden K Prize and prestigious Princess Cup at the Monaco International Circus Festival. It also garnered the “France President Prize” at the 26th Tomorrow Festival in Paris, France.

Then there’s the romance angle in the show. The umbrella courtship dance bears some traces of our native singkil. A girl spins as many as five umbrellas on her feet and hands as she balances on the back of a male acrobat who is simultaneously performing a handstand. The folk music and poignant choreography makes one swoon with emotion and the act consummates in a tender kiss.

Another romantic act shows a female and two male acrobats in a love triangle dance while swinging from two velvet curtains. They go through a menagerie of twists, turns and poses by simply wrapping the velvet cloth on their bodies and wrists swaying in poetic motion up in the air.

Then there is the collective trick cycling act that the MMDA may consider as the answer to Manila’s traffic problem. Imagine this scene. Twelve maidens one of top of the other on a speeding single bicycle! Add to that, they even manage to strike a magnificent peacock pose!

And then there’s the Pagoda of Bowls, a globally acclaimed finale that won for the group the highly coveted “Golden Clown” award at the 28th Monte Carlo Circus Festival, gold medal at the Budapest and Wuquiao Acrobatic Festivals. Fourgirl acrobats with stacks of bowls perched on their small feet are thrown back and forth in the air among male counterparts who perform hand and head stands as they do so. The act defies all laws of gravity and muscle control!

Because of the group’s popularity, they will be in town only for a short time. Next stop for the troupe is Turkey in Eastern Europe. Filipinos still have a few days to catch this spectacular. Splendide: The Grand China National Acrobatics Circus will run at the Araneta Coliseum until January 2, 2010. Group and family discounts are available. For ticket reservations and purchases, call TicketNet at 911-5555.

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