When Peking Acrobats Come To Palm Desert, Human Limits Will Be Pushed

PALM DESERT, CA — The Peking Acrobats, a troupe that performs maneuvers atop a pagoda of chairs, trick cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting and gymnastics, will perform at the McCallum Theatre in late January, organizers said Friday.

The group, which in 1999 set the world record for the human chair stack on Fox's Guinness Book Primetime television show, will take the stage at 3 p.m. Jan. 28, according to a statement from the McCallum Theatre. The city of Rancho Mirage partnered with the theatre for the troupe to perform in Palm Desert.

For the world record, the acrobats balanced six people, without safety lines, on top of six chairs 21 feet up in the air, theatre officials said. The group's members were also featured in Steven Soderbergh's film "Ocean's Eleven," and alumnus Shaobo Qin additionally appeared in "Ocean's Twelve" and "Ocean's Thirteen."

"They push the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility and control," McCallum Theatre officials wrote in a statement. "Time-honored Chinese music coalesces with high-tech special effects and awe-inspiring acrobatic feats, creating an exuberant entertainment event with the festive pageantry of a Chinese carnival."

More information about the upcoming performance can be found at mccallumtheatre.org.