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Chandler Center for the Arts staff sent a Q & A to The Peking Acrobats President & CEO of 30 years, Cynthia A. Dike-Hughes. We wanted to know more about the show and her own preferences & takes on the performing arts industry.
The Peking Acrobats perform daring maneuvers on top of a precarious structure of chairs, powerful precision tumbling, amazing displays of flexibility, foot juggling, and more. Prepare for a performance of perfectly synced artists who create a kaleidoscope of movement. Skillful musicians play traditional Chinese instruments while high-tech special effects combine with the festive pageantry of a Chinese carnival. The performance will take place on the Steena Murray Main Stage at Chandler Center for the Arts on February 4th, 2024 at 3:00 PM. Get your tickets today at chandlercenter.org or by calling our box office at 480-782-2680.
Can you tell us a little bit about how The Peking Acrobats started?
THE PEKING ACROBATS was the brainchild of my husband and business partner of over 40 years, Don Hughes, and his colleague at the time, Ken Hai. They formed a partnership in South Africa, where Don was originally from. Ken was looking for a manger for his acrobatic Group, and Don seized the opportunity to tour the show in SA and around the world. In 1986, they went to China and met with the then China Performing Arts Agency, and THE PEKING ACROBATS® were born. We bring different Groups of Acrobats from China each year to tour as THE PEKING ACROBATS as many of the Groups have obscure names that won’t mean much to the Western audiences. Thanks to our work over these many years, THE PEKING ACROBATS has become synonymous with excellence in the traditional art of Chinese Acrobatics and this is what your audiences will see at your performances.
Tell us a little about the acrobats' training?
The acrobats begin training at a very young age. They attend specialized schools that are the equivalent of our magnet schools here in the West. Often, they are the children of acrobats who have gone before them. They learn their 3 “Rs” in the morning (reading, writing and arithmetic) and train at their craft in the afternoons. They become adults at the age of 16 in China, and so are able to tour the world, sharing their art and culture with audiences everywhere.
What do you think is surprising about performing as an acrobat that people don't usually know?
They are NOT elastic people! They are just like you and me, but are specially trained in the acrobatic arts that is a unification of the body and the spirit. They elevate their cultural tradition through innovation and ingenuity. Each act takes years to perfect and they have a great time doing it!
What is your favorite thing about the performance?
I think for the performers it is the sheer transference of joy between the artists and the audience. You can’t get that from a movie, or the internet. It’s the actual moments of astonishment in live performance, that anything can happen (and, often does!) that makes the theatre so compelling. When we experience those moments together, that intangible is so rewarding and it truly is the secret to our success!
If you weren't in the performing arts industry, what other profession would you want to have?
I don’t think the performers would live any other way. They get to travel the world, see other cultures and meet great people. I’ve been a theatre producer for almost 40 years, and it really is a fantastic way of life, if you don’t weaken…as my Don used to say! HA!
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Regardless of politics and world tumult, there truly is no place like home, because that is where the performer’s family and friends are and this, after all, is what life is all about - The close connections that we all treasure. No matter where they go, they are always happy to be HOME, just like we all are.
Do you have anything you would tell someone who wants to be in the performing arts industry?
Be persistent. Don’t give up on your dreams. Sometimes, it may seem like it’s too hard, or too tough, but you have to believe in what you are doing and why you are doing it. I can’t think of a better way.