Cirque Mei

From the People's Republic of China, Hebei Province, Cirque Mei features traditional and contemporary variety acts in a colorful, lively celebration of the internationally renowned Chinese circus arts.

The performance, featuring a company of 30+ elite circus artists and acrobats, include the most popular Chinese circus routines including Hoop Diving, Lion Dance, Collective Bicycle Skills, Flying Meteors, Foot Juggling with Umbrellas, Female Contortion, and Ladder Balancing Act.

The troupe was founded in 1976 and supports a community of more than 130 circus performers who tour throughout China and the world.

Hoop-Diving - Talented boys express courage and defy danger when they perform back handsprings, backward somersaults, full turns, double layouts and more until a boy passes through a 6-layer-hoop as the final trick.

Solo Pole - With the rhythm of music, the artist does a series of difficult hand-balancing tricks on a pole. The act presents a combination of strength and beauty.

Diabolo Girls - Girls play diabolos with light and graceful gestures accompanied by the bright rhythm of background music.

Hats Juggling in Rhythm - With Jazz-melody music, the artists juggle straw hats while throwing objects, culminating with a grand display of building a human-pyramid.

Foot Juggling Girls (Umbrellas) - Imagine this: It’s misting and the breeze animates the bamboo leaves; there is a bridge with flowing water and a house in the distance – a true painting of the Southern China landscape. With an umbrella in hand, a group of graceful and charming girls dance. Their nimble feet spin the umbrellas skillfully and steadily. 

Lion Dance - The Lion Dance is one of the most widely known folk dances in China. In Chinese tradition, the lion is regarded as a mascot which can bring good luck and happiness. All the acrobatic artists come from Hebei province which is named as the hometown of Lion Dance. By the highly-skilled movements, the strong lions vividly show their majestic figure on stage. 

Plates Spinning and Ballet on Shoulders - Holding plates with 3-foot poles as thin as pencils, a group of girls delicately spin plates with light movements. Ballet on Shoulder is a good combination of the Chinese acrobatic art and the Western art of Ballet.

Bicycle Girls - A group of girls in red costumes ride bicycles as swift as swallows. They do tricks on several bicycles. The climax will be the lotus-blooming pose and the peacock-flaunting-its-tail pose on one bicycle. 

Happy Chef - The comic and humorous chef and waiter have a tacit cooperation with each other. They perform juggling tricks with pans, ladles and plates, presenting their sensational and outstanding skills.

Foot Juggling with Jars and Tables - Each Chinese acrobatic artist has his/her own special skills. With their feet, two skillful girls spin, pass, toss and catch tables and big jars smoothly and steadily.

Flying Meteors - Moving swiftly with enthusiasm and energy, each of the artists spin the meteors tied to both ends of a rope and throw them up in the air and catch them. The act imitates seeing meteors in the night sky.

Adagio Duo - This is a duet of two younger boys performing exceptional acrobatic tricks.