Jan. 3, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: LISA WOSKE
805/756-7110

National Acrobats of Taiwan Play the PAC Jan. 28

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- A dazzling evening of breath-taking feats
awaits audiences of all ages when the National Acrobats of Taiwan,
Republic of China (R.O.C.) fill the Cohan Center stage, beginning at 7
p.m. on Friday, January 28, 2005.

Cal Poly Arts presents China’s foremost troupe of 40+ masterful
acrobats, jugglers, contortionists, clowns, and magicians as part of the
Cal Poly Arts low-cost Family Event series.

The skillful performers use objects of daily life, such as chairs,
tables, poles, ladders, bowls, plates, bottles, and jars as stage
properties for their precise movements and flexible showmanship.

Audiences throughout Europe, America, and Asia have thrilled to the
artistry and entertainment evidenced in acts such as gravity-defying
plate-spinning and chair-stacking.

“By chair number four, my nerves gave out!” declared a reviewer from the
Dallas Morning News.

The troupe’s young artists have received, on average, eight years of
strict training. The troupe’s current leader, Lo Jih-Hung (also known by
his Western name, Dante Law), is well known in Taiwan and overseas for
his abilities as magician.

The original Fu Hsing Chinese Acrobatics Troupe was founded in 1980.
When they merged with the National Fu Hsing Dramatic Arts Academy and
the National Kuo Kuang Academy of Arts, the troupe’s name was changed to
the National Acrobats of Taiwan, Republic of China.

The masters of the Fu Hsing Academy are dedicated to the systematic
teaching methods of ancient China in order to cultivate performers of
folk dramatic arts who can preserve the art form and to pass it to
future generations.

Through creativity and reform, they have dramatized variety shows and
choreographed acrobatics, with the goal of making traditional folk
acrobatic arts versatile and to open a new era of art while continuing
their performances of traditional acrobatics.

The National Acrobats of Taiwan, R.O.C. have promoted Chinese culture
and folk arts and established cultural exchanges with other countries.
This month, the company returns to the United States and Canada for its
third tour.

Tickets for the performance are $15 for general public and $12 for
students/children and may be purchased at the Performing Arts Ticket
Office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. To
order by phone, call 805/756-2787; to order by fax: 805/756-6088. Order
on-line at www.pacslo.org.

Sponsored by Lucia Cleveland and Dr. Paul Vanderheyden and KSBY TV.

For audio and video samples of Cal Poly Arts events, visit
www.calpolyarts.org.

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