The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats will bring their daring and amazing show to the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Mainstage on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m.
The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats, with their sensational Chinese acrobatics, balancing feats, and martial arts displays, provide audiences with a glimpse into the fascinating traditions of the Orient. It is truly an Oriental spectacle and a show for all ages. The grace and precision of the acrobats are the triumph of years of dedicated training and discipline. Most of these acts clearly demonstrate the achievement of perfection through finding harmony between mind and body, an ancient concept in the Orient. The art has been formed by centuries of tradition.
Acrobats start their career at an early age and it is a family affair. Children who watch their parents contort, leap and sail through the air obviously take it for granted that they will, in time, do the same, and they invariably do. Becoming an accomplished Chinese acrobat in The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats offers the performer a special status in China, equivalent to that of an American opera star in the West, and allows them the opportunity to travel around the world, sharing their talents with a wide variety of audiences. Formal lessons and training begin at age of 5 or 6, when observation has already become a fantastic teacher. There are three schools for the arts in China: the first dealing with dance, the second with Chinese opera and the third with acrobatics. Here, acrobatic students spend four hours each day going through their paces, so that by the time they reach the age of 14 or 15, their art has become a part of their daily lives and is virtually second nature.
Second nature it is to the Hai Family (pronounced “hi”) from China, whose expertise directing and leading The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats for more than 30 years has been met with great success and standing ovations across North America and around the world. In acrobatic circles, the family name Hai is highly respected and synonymous with physical feats of daring and skill across Asia.
Tickets to see The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats performance at the Mendel Center Mainstage in Benton Harbor are available by calling (269) 927-1221 or visiting www.lmcmainstage.org. Students (kindergarten through college) and seniors (60 and older) receive 10 percent off single-ticket prices. Groups of 20 or more receive a 15 percent savings on ticket prices. For further information about group rates and special arrangements, call the group coordinator at (269) 927-8109 or email questions to groups@lakemichigancollege.edu.