(Posted April 10, 2006)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Performing amazing feats of tumbling, juggling and acrobatics, the Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats will visit Juniata College to present circus-like entertainment that has enthralled audiences nationwide at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 22 in Rosenberger Auditorium in the Halbritter Center for the Performing Arts on the Juniata campus.

For tickets and information about the Juniata College Artist Series, please call (814) 641-3605. General admission tickets for single performances are $20, except where otherwise noted. Single-show tickets for seniors over age 65 and children age 18 and under are $12. Juniata College students are admitted free with a student ID.

"The Golden Dragons present a well-paced sampler of a highly stylized art form," wrote a critic in the Washington Post. "There is a precision and beauty about everything these performers do."
The jaw-dropping acts of acrobatics used by the Golden Dragon troupe, seen two years ago at Juniata in the troupe's first performance at the college, date back more than 2,000 years to the ceremonies and traditional leisure activities of Chinese workers. Over centuries, such acrobatic routines as the human pagoda, rope-walking and the "dancing horse" were perfected and taught to traveling ensembles of entertainers. Although the ruling class of China felt that acrobatics were unrefined, the acrobatic troupes remained popular throughout China, performing mostly at open-air festivals and regional celebrations.
The Golden Dragon Acrobats, a 20-member group, mix acrobatics, traditional dance, theatrical presentations and spectacular costumes into a single show. The group has performed in 65 countries across five continents, including such venues as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and Caesar's Palace in Atlantic City, N.J.
The artistic director of the group is Danny Chang, who has been performing since age 10, beginning with an acrobatic troupe formed by the Chang Family Acrobatic School of Taipei. He has received Distinguished Skill in Performance Awards from the Republic of China's Ministry of Education and was awarded the Medal for International Faith and Goodwill by the Republic of China's Coordination Council for North American Affairs.
The choreographer and costume designer is Angela Chang. She earned a degree in Chinese folk dance from the Chinese Cultural College of Taipei and worked as coordinator of cultural programming for the Taiwan Television Corporation.


Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.