HARTWICK COLLEGE — The ZUZU African Acrobats will return to Hartwick College’s Slade Theater to perform traditional Kenyan and Tanzanian circus culture acrobatics — all set to soulful African beats — at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28. Hosted by Hartwick College’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Center, the performance is free and open to the community.
According to a media release, the ZUZU African Acrobats performed virtually at Hartwick College on Feb. 9, 2022, and then came to campus on Feb. 17, 2023. Those who attended last year’s show are still talking about the interactivity of the performance, in which the acrobats brought guests on the stage to participate in some of the acts.
The ZUZU is a Tanzanian troupe. Its performances are based on 2000 years of history. They bring modern art, culture and passion with them everywhere they go. ZUZU celebrates their niche culture of Dar Es Salaam through jaw-dropping acrobatics, live music, singing and dancing.
The acrobats are described as exhibiting gravity-defying stunts while simultaneously displaying the beauty of the Tanzanian culture of East Africa.
Their interactive 90-minute show includes human pyramids, dish spinning, stick balance, contortion, chair balance, unicycling, juggling, hand-to-hand balance, pole acts, hoop diving, as well as comedy.
Each acrobat has graduated from the Baba Watoto School for Performing Arts which is reportedly internationally renowned for producing the highest quality performers. The cast of 14 performers includes nine acrobats, three dancers and two musicians.
As further stated in the release, hailing from Tanzania, ZUZU African Acrobats celebrate the 2000-year-old Bantu culture of East Africa. Each cast member receives instructions from elders in the Bagamoyo Arts and Cultural Institute to perform the ancient traditions to audiences around the world.
Training highlights include proficiency with the ngoma (drum), contortion (ubishi wa solo), dish spinning (sahani inazunguka), chair balance (kusawazisha kiti), unicycles and bicycle tricks (baiskeli), human pyramids (mazoezi ya viungo) all to the sounds of African beats. The grace, beauty and strength of Africa stands as living testimony presented through living human art and entertainment.
Visit zuzuafricanacrobats.com for more information.