Lucas: 5 things to know about the Peking Acrobats — coming to Hilton Head

You may have spotted them on TV and wondered if they’re just as thrilling in person. Now is your chance to find out.

The world-renowned Peking Acrobats will offer two shows on Hilton Head Island this Saturday.

In the meantime, here are five things to know about the troupe:

They can levitate.

Ok they can’t really levitate but it looks like they can.

There is almost nothing the men and women in this amazing acrobatics troupe can’t balance on, somersault over or trick-cycle around making them seem almost superhuman.

Performances are accompanied by live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments and high-tech special effects that take the show into an entirely different realm.

They have set records.

The Peking Acrobats hold the world record for a feat known as the “Human Chair Stack” which sounds dramatic and a little bit death defying.

Basically, the chair stack involves balancing six people atop six chairs 21 feet up in the air, without the aid of safety lines.

It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) do not try this at home.

They are treated like celebrities everywhere they go.

The Peking Acrobats have traveled the world over and have been featured on a number of TV shows and network specials including Ellen DeGeneres’ “Really Big Show,” “The Wayne Brady Show” and ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” among others.

In addition, alumnus Shaobo Qin played “The Amazing Yen” — or Danny Ocean’s “grease man” — alongside Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Julia Roberts in Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen. Qin still performs with the group and can be seen in the “High Chair Act” and the “Squeeze Play Act.”

Acrobatic acts are rooted in ancient Chinese history.

Even more fascinating than their celebrity status, acrobatic acts and feats have been recorded in Chinese history and can be traced back at least two thousand years, according to several websites on the subject.

Down through the ages, Chinese acrobats have worked to introduce new feats and perfect the form taking it into the folk art arena.

In China, high honor is often conferred upon those who become acrobats.

It’s the Year of the Monkey.

This year, the acrobats are celebrating their 30th year — also known as the “Year of the Monkey” in the Chinese calendar.

We’re not sure why it matters that 2016 is the year of the monkey, but it sounds cool and we like monkeys.

Also, fun fact, 2016 is not only the “Year of the Monkey,” it’s the year of the fire monkey so if you were born in say 1956 or just recently, you will be ambitious, adventurous and, a little irritable.

Maybe a night with the acrobats will make you less so.

This story was originally published March 17, 2016 at 2:30 PM with the headline "Lucas: 5 things to know about the Peking Acrobats — coming to Hilton Head."