May 6, 2008 – The Golden Dragon Acrobats take to the stage as part of the Reichhold Center for the Arts' Family Series at 4 and 7 p.m., on Saturday, May 10.
From their home base in Hebei Province, China, they present the best of a 2,500-year-old Chinese acrobatic tradition. From juggling to tumbling to aerial twirling the acrobats perform daring fetes that delight children and adults alike.
The New York Post says the acrobats "deliver beautifully choreographed routines showcasing their amazing skills and physicality, accompanied by a musical score of traditional Chinese music filtered through a New Age sensibility."
In one act, a female performer maneuvers her nimble body into various contortions, while balancing a set of five-stack high glasses on both hands and feet. With props positioned accordingly, she twists and turns from lying flat on her stomach to lying on her back, still balancing the glasses on airborne limbs.
In another body-defying stunt, young men fly and tumble through multi-tiered hoops, positioned several feet off the ground. The scene is similar to that of the Ringling Bothers circus, except this time, the performers are human.
Like the people, the props are a major part of the act. The acrobats form human ladders, but also use prop ladders to perform towering tricks. The balancing acts involve volleyballs, parasols and cast members. Plates and bowls spin alongside men and women.
The show also combines an array of backdrops fashioned from Chinese calligraphy and characters such as the dragon. The costumes reflect the vibrant reds and blues seen in Chinese cultural motifs.
The acrobats are a favorite among American audiences. The troupe has been to all 50 states and has performed in 65 countries and on five continents. They performed at Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Caesar's Palace in Atlantic City. Between November 2005 and January 2006, they had a successful run on Broadway. Their 2007-2008 tour marks the Golden Dragon Acrobats' 29th year of continuous touring in the United States.
Reichhold Center's season sponsors are: First Bank, First Insurance, Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort, Tropical Shipping, the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts and Innovative Cable TV.
Tickets are $22, $15 and $10 and are available at Modern Music, UVI Bookstore, V.I. Bridal & Tuxedo, Urban Threadz, Essentric Shoe Boutique, Island Video (Nisky), Home Again (Red Hook) and the Reichhold Center Box Office at 693-1559.
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