Have you ever heard of anyone who can balance on top of a tower of oddly stacked chairs (the base chair supported only by bottles under each leg) upside down?

The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats are some of the few possessing this skill. They amazed the Martin community Friday, Nov. 8 when they staged one of the most unique shows Martin has seen.

It’s astonishing how much coordination, flexibility and will-power one can have, and these acrobats adequately demonstrated these qualities through their stunning acrobatic feats. Several acrobats stole the crowd’s attention with numerous eye-catching acts. Some of the acts performed were thought to be impossible, but the acrobats proved them wrong as they juggled machetes, balanced umbrellas and vases in unusual positions, stood on hands on top of several towering chairs, dressed up as dogs in elaborate costumes balancing on several objects, dashed and jumped through hoops, performed various acrobatic flips and presented several other amazing feats.

One move worth seeing was the human pyramid. It was performed not just on the ground, but also on a bicycle. Another nerve-racking act was one man balancing on top of an elevated tower of chairs. This was performed as a “don’t try this at home” feat. The acrobats’ colorful and intricate costumes added to the striking performance.

“We were proud to play a part in bringing a quality, family-oriented and culturally interesting show to Martin,” said Dr. Tim Johnston, chair of the Brian Brown Greenway Foundation. Several groups donated money to allow chidren to attend the performance, and members of Pi Sigma Epsilon transported and chaperoned children at the show.

“The members of Pi Sigma Epsilon were happy to help chaperone children to the Chinese Acrobats performance,” said Amy Watson, president.

Several UTM organizations provided additional funds for children to attend.

“University students and children will benefit from the Brian Brown Greenway when it is built, so the Chinese Acrobats performance was a great opportunity to involve UTM students and local children in some fun family entertainment,” said
Johnston.