The Imperial Circus
Information
The IMPERIAL CIRCUS is owned and operated by the IMPERIAL CIRCUS Corporation. The President and driving force behind the commercial success of this world renown circus is John Regna. Mr. Regna is well known for his representation of major music stars and has been a music industry and family entertainment leader since 1972. The IMPERIAL CIRCUS is predominantly the result of Mr. Regna's well known and established track record as Producer and Promoter of ICE SHOWS and of THE PEKING CIRCUS, THE BEIJING CIRCUS, THE MOSCOW CIRCUS and THE BOMBAY CIRCUS.
During 2009, the Artistic slant of some of the companies of the IMPERIAL CIRCUS is leaning toward having performers from THE BEIJING CIRCUS, THE MOSCOW CIRCUS and formerly from CIRQUE DU SOLEIL as the performing members of the new production. This is as opposed to having a solely Chinese or solely Russian version of the show. Audiences are clamoring for shows featuring a mixed bag of nationalities.
During the past few years, the IMPERIAL CIRCUS has toured in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, England, Scotland, Australia and the 2008-2009 season will once again bring the show to Peru, Panama, Ecuador, Bolivia, Lebanon, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and many other countries. There are currently two television specials under way along with an international marketing plan for DVD and other merchandise items. The IMPERIAL CIRCUS currently has FIVE touring divisions and features performers from Beijing, Shenyang, Nanjing, Hefei and other cities in China along with special guests from Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia and Paris, France.
ABOUT OUR CHINESE PERFORMERS: The Chinese circus is a favorite form of art among the Asian people. It has a long history with a distinct national style, evolving from the Chinese peoples' everyday life and working experience. Hence, the evolution to this edition of the IMPERIAL CIRCUS featuring many superstars from China.
The Chinese circus tradition finds its beginnings more than two thousand years ago in the period of the Warring States. Chinese artists, acrobats and contortionists are clearly recognized in ancient artifacts as early as the Qin and Han dynasties (221 B.C. - 220 A.D.). Historical records, ancient relics, relief carvings on tombs, stone and brick, murals in temples and grottoes and decorative patterns on utensils show the modern historian that for centuries audiences have been fascinated by the dazzling performances of Chinese artists, acrobatics and circus.
Although many kinds of acrobatic acts were in existence during the Ch'in Dynasty (255-207 B.C.), it was the Han Dynasty that saw the art form reach new heights and become a popular form of entertainment. Most troupes were formed along family lines and developed skills and routines which, with some alterations, are still performed today. Known as the "Pai Hsi" or the "Hundred Acts", during this period the circus evolved into a lengthy show consisting of a wide variety of tumbling, juggling and magic acts.
Zh'ang Heng, a great man of letters in the Eastern Han Dynasty, recorded in one of his writings, "The Western Capital Fu" many exciting acrobatic acts and magic tricks. They included "Balancing on a High Pole", "Jumping Through Hoops", "Hand Feats" and "Rope Walking" to name a few. Modern Chinese circus, however sophisticated it may appear, was created and performed by the ancient Chinese acrobats.
These acrobats were court favorites throughout the Northern Wei Period (386 - 534), into the Sung Dynasty (960 - 1279), as discovered in Bas relief's, books and paintings from these eras. During the Sung Dynasty, the art of acrobatics was practiced by Taoist metaphysicians in an effort to perfect their physical skill and mental concentration.
As time went on, the audience for Chinese circus changed and performers were well received by the common people rather than the courts. The circus Artists joined puppeteers, storytellers, magicians, dancers and other Artisans already performing across the Chinese countryside. The Chinese government however, became less enchanted with the circus and began to closely regulate the movement of entire troupes and individual Artists. As a result, throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Chinese circus existed in a much less structured format. Traveling as individuals rather than troupes for the most part, the performers were demoralized and generally distrusted by the audiences.
In 1949, The Peoples Republic of China began to fund Chinese circus acts. Troupes then had hopes of revitalizing an ancient and prized art form. Guided by the principle of "Letting a Hundred Flowers Blossom" and "Weeding Through the Old to Bring Forth the New", Chinese circus has re-emerged as a popular art form. A large number of new programs have been created, collated and transplanted. As musical accompaniment, costumes. props and lighting have improved, Chinese circus has developed into a comprehensive form of stage art, so magnificently illustrated by the featured performers in the IMPERIAL CIRCUS.
ABOUT OUR EUROPEAN PERFORMERS: The former members of CIRQUE DU SOLEIL and the MOSCOW CIRCUS are performers trained early in their lives in the circus arts. These agile performers are "the best of the best" in their countries and add a wonderful flavor to the IMPERIAL CIRCUS Always willing to please, you will find the European delegation always ready to update their routines based on what country they are performing in. They are truly "citizens of the world".
The IMPERIAL CIRCUS, considered the best of all on-stage circuses, has played an important role in cultural exchanges between many nations. Over the past thirty-five years, Chinese and European circus troupes have toured many regions and countries throughout the world. Their excellent performances have been warmly welcomed and highly appreciated by audiences across the globe.
The Acts
- Spinning Diabolo
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This charming performance is rooted in the traditional Chinese folk game called "Diabolo." By adding dance, acrobatics and choreography, the IMPERIAL CIRCUS Artists have created a very unique presentation. The simple Diabolo (which looks like a giant yo-yo) is constantly spinning as the performers exchange placeswhile tossing it back and forth. The Artists that masterfully control the spinning Diabolo perform both alone and in various group formations, allowing for a variety of tricks and interesting combinations. Two of the performers have won prestigious circus awards for their outstanding synchronicity and expertise.
- Pagoda of Plates & Glasses
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Audiences will "Witness the Impossible" as they watch one of the featured performers from the IMPERIAL CIRCUS maintain the grace of a swan throughout this breathtaking presentation! What began as a traditional performance involving a contortionist and a glass of water has evolved into a suspenseful series of complicated movements. This charming young lady simultaneously balances up to 150 delicately thin glasses filled with colored liquid on her forehead, feet and hands.
Throughout the performance, she rolls into various positions and poses to complete a number of 360° turns while balancing more than thirty pounds of liquid and glass...never spilling a drop!
- Hoop Diving
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In ancient China, hoop diving was referred to as the "swallow game" because performers would jump and dive with the speed, accuracy and grace of a swallow. The wooden hoops began as traditional hoops used by Chinese farmers to screen rice.
The IMPERIAL CIRCUS hoop divers are young men whose agility and acrobatic skills rival those of the finest Olympians. Their timing must be precise and the placement of their bodies in space must be exact.
Beginning with two small hoops on the floor, the performers continue to alternate and stack the hoops on top of each other until they have constructed a tower that is five hoops tall. In the final exhibition of their movements, one of the divers actually soars through the top hoop, which is more than seven feet off the ground! The IMPERIAL CIRCUS is proud to present one of only a few performers in the world who can accomplish this dazzling feat.
- High Pole Acrobats
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The IMPERIAL CIRCUS is proud to present these award-winning acrobats whose presentation is based on a traditional form of gymnastic performance. The High Pole Acrobats exhibit various abilities that involve climbing up and sliding down several vertical poles. The array of dazzling tricks include "cat walking," moving up the pole head down, fast fall and sliding down with crossed legs.
Besides working on a single pole, members of the troupe can literally "jump" back-and-forth from pole to pole as well as performing numerous gymnastic tricks that display their incredible upper-body strength and control.
Perhaps most impressive is their ability to "fall upside down." This exciting feat always leaves audiences gasping! By grabbing onto the top of the pole with their legs, the performers extend their arms and quickly drop the entire length of the pole, stopping just before their heads touch the ground.
- Lion Dancers
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Rooted in symbolism, the Lion Dance is one of the most brilliant and colorful traditions of the IMPERIAL CIRCUS. Bai Juyi (a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty) vividly describes this unique "imitation performance" in his poem "Dances of the Western Regions." The Lion Dance displays the brave, lively and playful nature of the animal. Portrayed by two incredible acrobats, each lion's every move is prepared and performed in complete synchronicity.
Faithfully recreated from the ancient folk dances of China, this act amazes audiences with the lifelike quality evoked by these unusual and seemingly mystical creatures.
- Dancing Plates
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One of the most popular traditional acts of the Chinese circus is the Dancing Plates. The IMPERIAL CIRCUS would not be complete without this utterly feminine and truly beautiful exhibition.
Lovely girls in sparkling costumes spin porcelain plates on three-foot-long wooden sticks to the strains of enchanting and authentic Chinese music. According to Chinese legend, the plates represent lotus flowers dancing in the wind.
As their act begins, the ladies perform their skills standing upright. Soon, however, they are performing handstands, head stands, somersaults and back bends while increasing the number of spinning plates and amazing the audience in the process!
- Clown Comedy
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Throughout Chinese history, comic performances have been a standard in traditional entertainment. Ancient records - more than 2,000 years old - denote the existence of a comic presentation performed by two people (one tall and one short).
Over time, Chinese clowns experimented with additional elements which they added to the comedy to make their routines more exciting and entertaining. The result is a new genre that combines both intelligence and humor in a visually stimulating performance.
The IMPERIAL CIRCUS is proud to present this unique "Performance Art" in its most current form, threading its way throughout the entire show to bring smiles and laughter to the amused audiences.
- Tower of Chairs
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To most cultures, chairs are simple pieces of furniture, functional and decorative. To the performers in the IMPERIAL CIRCUS, however, chairs are fantastic stage props that provide for a most interesting surface on which to balance themselves and other chairs. Circus acts involving chairs are a tradition in China and can involve a single performer or an entire troupe performing very complex tricks.
This death-defying act involves at least half a dozen well-balanced performers who miraculously form a "Leaning Tower" of chairs! And, just to add an extra element of excitement, these acrobats will sometimes balance the first chair atop four glass bottles to increase the difficulty. This awesome display defies the laws of physics and must be seen to be believed.
- Jugglers
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No IMPERIAL CIRCUS would be complete without juggling! Once a traditional rite observed by Chinese farmers at harvest time, jar juggling was handed down through generations. Originally performed by a single artist, juggling eventually became an art form that could involve two or more people. It has evolved into an organized series of games that can include rolling, kicking, tumbling and juggling giant porcelain jars.
Eventually, other objects substituted for the jars and performers began trying to do their tricks on moving platforms and even atop unicycles!
The IMPERIAL CIRCUS is proud to present this exciting tradition that is more than 200 years old!
- Aerial Acts
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From daring displays by a troupe on the flying trapeze to the graceful beauty of a couple suspended in space, the aerialists of the IMPERIAL CIRCUS take to the air with amazing exhibitions of their acrobatic artistry.
These incredible performers literally take traditional Chinese skills to new heights as they leap, spin, twist, turn and tumble in the air above the amazed audience.
Creative costumes and state-of-the-art lighting complement the movement of the artists, adding sparkle and color to this dazzling display and making the Aerial Acts of the IMPERIAL CIRCUS some of the finest in the world!