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LOGAN, UT – The Golden Dragon Acrobats will bring an awe-inspiring display of spellbinding feats, death-defying drops, and stunning levels of strength and balance to the Ellen Eccles Theatre on March 25, 26, & 27 at 7:30 p.m.  

"Audiences members will be tumbling with amazement," said Wally Bloss, executive director of the Cache Valley Center for the Arts. "This high-energy performance will be a season favorite as the acrobats make the ‘impossible’ possible.”

The Golden Dragon Acrobats have become the world's leading Chinese acrobatic troupe, performing more than any other company. Coming all the way from Cangzhou, Hebei province in the People’s Republic of China, the company has toured to all 50 states and over 65 countries on five continents. The members of the Golden Dragon Acrobats are actors, athletes, and artists, with an unmistakable love for their art. Their feats are physically daring, yet graceful as they manipulate space, time & gravity. The performance is enhanced by traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient & contemporary music, and colorful theatrical techniques. This brilliant combination enthralls audiences in an elaborate performance of skill & spellbinding beauty.

The Golden Dragon Acrobats made their Broadway debut at the New Victory Theater in 2005, and were nominated for two most prestigious Drama Desk Awards for their performance. With 25 performers trained in the rigorous art of acrobatics since early youth, the troupe has garnered international acclaim. They have been presented with several major awards over the company’s history including the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) Entertainer of the Year Award and the Campus Activities Today’s Performer of the Year Award.

The Golden Dragon Acrobats represent the very best of this time-honored tradition that began more than twenty-seven centuries ago. The 2008 tour marks the highlight of the Golden Dragons' touring career with their 30th anniversary United States tour. The year will also see the company's home nation of China host the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing.

In China acrobats are revered much the same way prima ballerinas and opera divas or rock stars are in the West.  In the Chinese tradition, aspiring acrobats begin training as early as four years of age, moving from the basics – balancing, tumbling, dancing, flexibility and strength – to many years spent cultivating and honing specific acrobatic talents, finally culminating in stage performance at age sixteen or seventeen.

The impact of Chinese acrobatics serves an important role in the cultural exchange between China and Western nations. Since the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 240 A.D.), dramatic folk arts and variety shows have become a deeply rooted part of Chinese civilization. These traditional performances have entertained people from all walks of life for centuries. The skillful performers of these shows often use objects including chairs, tables, poles, ladders, bowls, plates, bottles, and jars as props. Building on the traditional performances, today's artists have added new techniques, stunning displays of muscular martial arts and spectacular stunts. Some of the astounding feats include death-defying pole drops, masterful umbrella juggling, dancing plates, the tower of chairs, and contortion. Full program content is subject to change.

The Golden Dragon Acrobats are under the casting direction of Asian Artists Productions located in Plano, TX. AAPI chooses its talented performers directly from the People’s Republic of China and maintains a team of theatrical technicians and touring managers in the United States whom are responsible for the safe travel and execution of the touring show. Due to their dedication, the company has had the privilege of performing in many prestigious venues including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Germany's Elspe Festival, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Caesar's Palace in Atlantic City, and the Seattle Children's Festival. Director of the troupe, world-renowned impresario Danny Chang and choreographer Angela Chang combine their expertise, love of their art, and life-long discipline in producing tours for the Golden Dragon Acrobats.

Tickets for GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS are $12, $17, $18 and $21, and may be ordered online or through the CVCA Ticket Office at 435-752-0026 (10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday- Friday). A 50% child discount, 25% USU student discount, and a 15% group discount are available. For more information about this event please visit www.CenterForTheArts.us. For information about GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS visit www.goldendragonacrobats.com.

Golden Dragon Acrobats is sponsored in part by: George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation; Marie Eccles Caine Foundation; Bearnson & Peck, L.C.; USU Charter credit Union; Best Western Baugh Motel; Faye Sonne Stucki Family (Brent, Valdon, and Paula).

Additional contacts:

CVCA Contact: Amanda Castillo, Marketing Director
Cache Valley Center for the Arts: 43 South Main, Logan, UT

Phone Number: 435-753-6518 ext. 15
Email: ACastillo@CenterForTheArts.us

-Touring since 1978.

-The Golden Dragons remain the only Chinese acrobatic company touring year-round in the United States.

- Recognized as the premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company of today.