Cirque Shanghai Bai Xi was a show of 100 wonders Monday night at John R. Emens Auditorium. The show traveled through time, showing off the acrobatic arts of ancient Chinese culture. More than 1,200 tickets were sold, and almost 400 Ball State students attended, according to ticket sales.
The theme throughout the show was balancing, from the light and suspenseful Chinese melodies to the symbolic pyramids created on stage during several acts. The show also showcased many Chinese styles of dancing. Then there were the acts themselves.
The show opened with a woman riding a unicycle on top of a spinning umbrella held by a male performer. A show of colorful flags and ribbons accompanied the opening act.
Then several performers created an extended human pyramid.
The audience, filled about three-fourths of Emens Auditorium, and provided much applause during the opening acts.
"It's more acrobatic-intensive than the other cirque shows I've been to," sophomore landscape architecture major Kourtney Dillavou said.
The show pushed the boundaries when two performers, one standing on another's head, balanced on a ladder. The wire holding the top performer was a sign of the potential dangers of such a stunt.
To add more difficulty, the top performer balanced a female acrobat on his shoulders, while four others joined to create a pyramid. This act seemed to be a particular crowd favorite.
The umbrella and dance act gathered many gasps from the audience as the male acrobat flipped and caught his female counterpart, and then balanced her on his arms.
"It was very different from the Japanese martial arts that I'm used to," sophomore chemistry major and executive member of the Martial Arts Club James Adair said.
Other highlights from the show included the male and female duo dancing in the air while suspended by drapes dangling from above. The couple used the drapes as ropes, and the female acrobat spun from one of the drapes as it was tied around the man's neck.
The most memorable highlight of the night seemed to be the balancing act involving a bicycle and a plank. The plank was held about 10 feet above the stage, with a bicycle placed on top.
One performer then climbed up to the plank, and began balancing on the wheel of the bicycle. Another performer soon joined him, standing on top.
The bicycle continued as a prop when seven people balanced on the bike to create yet another pyramid as one man rode the bicycle around stage. The troupe continued to push the limits by adding three more performers.
The bicycle portion of the show proved rather suspenseful for the audience.
"I think the use of color and energy was really fun. The most exciting part was when the bike on the ladder wobbled," senior telecommunications major and Japanese minor Ashley Knapp said.
Often performed in the imperial courts, Bai Xi acrobatics date back to the Han dynasty of China. Bai Xi translates to "100 amazing acts."
Cirque Shanghai followed a long line of similar shows to come to Emens, including The Peking Acrobats, Cirque Dreams, Cirque Mechanics and the National Acrobats of China.
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