Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Home Stretch

France has its mimes, and Italy its Harlequin shows, but China’s pedestrian art relies more on muscles than makeup. Its 2000-year-old street-performance tradition is rooted in acrobatics, a skill woven through the country’s art and culture. This week, the Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats visit Barre with a theatrical showcase of juggling, trick cycling and precision gymnastics. Dressed in elaborate costumes, the co-ed touring troupe pushes the limits of physical possibility, with t’ai chi-style control. See bodies balance in complicated symmetrical formations, perch perilously on a ceiling-high stack of chairs, flourish fans, or combine to become “lions” poised on a rolling golden ball. Martial arts displays round out the action.