The Chinese State Circus is coming to The Lakes this month, with all the glitter and sparkle, one would expect from this world renowned show. This spectacular production is a fascinating and exhilarating journey through Chinese art, history and culture. The acrobatic skills on display from the jaw-dropping athletes are influenced entirely by Chinese tradition and all of those skills on display will have been honed and perfected through a lifetimes work and dedication.
Chinese acrobatics have been in existence for centuries and are very much a part of the Chinese heritage and way of life. Wall etchings, stencils as well as manuscripts show that Chinese acrobatics date back almost two thousand years. During the Quin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C. to 220 A.D.) acrobatic artistes honed a more detailed repertoire than previous generations, leading to the discipline becoming known as the language of a thousand tricks.
In its current form, the Chinese state circus has been around for 25 years, originally conceived by Creative Director Phillip Gandey, after falling in love with the styles and techniques of a group of performers he saw at the Monte Carlo Circus Festival. Captivated by the discipline and attention to detail on display, he set about looking to bring the whole event to the UK. After the slight issue of having to transport all performers, interpreters and technical equipment across the world was resolved, the rest became history!
The show takes place on Sunday the 18th of September at The Sands centre and is not to be missed.