Combining death-defying "body sculptures" with breathtaking highwire antics, juggling, gymnastics, stunts and live carnivalesque musical accompaniment, the Peking Acrobats are to your average circus, what a fine, perfectly ripened brie is to a jar of Cheeze Whiz. This maddeningly talented troupe, consisting of 26 Chinese acrobats, recently appeared on the Guinness World Records TV show to perform their infamous "tower of chairs," in which they use chairs, contortion and unbelievable balance to achieve a mind-boggling human/chair tower that defies the laws of physics.
Of course, these feats are only made possible through years of gruelling training, sometimes beginning at the tender age of six. Indeed, many of the moves hark back to a 2,000-year-old tradition--the stunts the Peking Acrobats pull off have their roots in China's Ch'in Dynasty of 225-207 B.C. Catch sight of them now, before these dashing Pekinese prancers are whisked off to New York City for three weeks, where they'll be in residence at the New Victory Theatre on Broadway. At the Centre Pierre-Péladeau (300 de Maisonneuve E.), March 23-25, $9.95-26.95. Call 987-6919 for show times.
Combining death-defying "body sculptures" with breathtaking highwire antics, juggling, gymnastics, stunts and live carnivalesque musical accompaniment, the Peking Acrobats are to your average circus, what a fine, perfectly ripened brie is to a jar of Cheeze Whiz. This maddeningly talented troupe, consisting of 26 Chinese acrobats, recently appeared on the Guinness World Records TV show to perform their infamous "tower of chairs," in which they use chairs, contortion and unbelievable balance to achieve a mind-boggling human/chair tower that defies the laws of physics.