GALVESTON — Cirque Shanghai-Bai Xi somersaults onto the stage at The Grand 1894 Opera House this weekend. After bending their bodies in ways that seem almost impossible, the performers of Cirque Shanghai bellow “hai!”
Dating back to the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, Chinese acrobatic spectacles were first called “Bai Xi,” meaning “100 amazing acts,” in reference to the performers’ seemingly limitless skills and innumerable feats they could perform.
These daring talents were featured in command performances for China’s imperial courts and have been passed down and enhanced through generations.
Cirque Shanghai-Bai Xi combines aspects of the traditional and the modern in acrobatic stage performance: displays of physical strength with incredible feats of balance, folkloric pageantry with fast-paced contemporary dance, martial arts with equilibrialist skills — some performed high in the air.
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At A Glance
WHAT: Cirque Shanghai-Bai Xi
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: The Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice St., Galveston
COST: Ticket prices range from $18.50 to $58
INFORMATION: Call The Grand’s box office at 409-765-1894 or 800-821-1894, or visit www.thegrand.com
