The Golden Dragon Acrobats are making a return to NMU for the fall semester’s Family Weekend 2008. The Golden Dragon Acrobats, known for their physically demanding and colorful shows, have been impressing audiences since their start as acrobats in Hebei, China.
Senior Breanne Lash of Northern Arts and Entertainment (NAE) gave said they consider the performers an NMU staple.
“Northern Arts and Entertainment has always been the student group bringing the Golden Dragon Acrobats to campus. This is their third time here in the last six or seven years,” Lash said.
The 16 acrobats are all Chinese citizens who have been training as acrobats from an early age. The group comes to NMU during the fall semester’s family weekend. Previous shows have included balancing many glasses at once, creating a human table through contortion, stacking multiple chairs on top of each other and having one acrobat handstand on top, standing 10 people tall on a moving bicycle, and various other extremely difficult maneuvers. To make these feats all the more difficult, the performers wear elaborate costumes.
Biology major Justine Pinskey shared her favorite part of a previous show.
“I was amazed by the variety in the acts,” Pinskey said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but every time I thought a stunt was over they would take it one step farther. It was unbelievable.”
Psychology major Christie Morse also shared some details on her favorite stunt.
“The acrobats kept standing, one on top of another. They ended up getting so high they could reach the scoreboard in the gym, and they touched it. It was so amazing, and I thought for sure they were going to fall,” Morse said.
However, last year NMU students were unable to see these performers, when this anticipated event was forced to cancel. The troupe members were denied their visa applications after stricter stipulations were put on the visa process, due to heightened security measures for entering the U.S. over extended stays. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not find that their was sufficient proof that the troupe would eventually leave the country again, and so they turned down the visas. With the Golden Dragon Acrobats unable to enter the U.S., they were unable to visit in time for Northern’s scheduled show, and this left many students like Morse disappointed.
“I saw them my freshman year when they came to campus on family weekend, and my mom and I really enjoyed them,” Morse said. “I was really looking forward to going to last year’s, but since it was cancelled I’m hoping they actually come this year, because I’d really like to see them again. They’re impressive.”
Breanne Lash informs us that NAE has everything on for the Oct. 25 performance. If all goes according to plan, the Golden Dragon Acrobats are sure to draw the same crowds that previously attended their performances; as older students remember what they enjoyed and new students see what these acrobats can do.
“The show is always entertaining and people are really excited for it. We have already sold over 1,000 tickets,” Lash said.
Tickets for the event are available at any EZ ticket outlet at only $2 for students and children under twelve, and $5 per adult. The show starts at 8 p.m. in the Berry Events center on Oct. 25.
