The Peking Acrobats performed last Saturday at packed Meany Hall in an unforgettable show that brought to mind images of carnivals and Cirque du Soleil. Acrobatics, dance and even comedy were among the many performing arts presented by the troupe that, with a few exceptions, gave quite an impressive performance.

The tradition of acrobatics in China can be traced back more than 2,000 years, and performers are often widely renowned in their home countries.

Debuting in 1986, the performing arts company has since found fame not only in China, but throughout North America and Europe as well. The group has performed on several TV shows and in the film Ocean’s Eleven, with former member Shaobo Qin starring in each of the Ocean films as the con artist “The Amazing Yen.”

The Peking Acrobats’ performance began to the sounds of traditional Chinese instruments — including flutes and a huqin (vertical fiddle) — played by members of the troupe, who continued to provide accompanying music throughout the event.

A dazzling opening lion dance set the tone of the performance; from the first act, the audience was witness to remarkable displays of flexibility, strength and precision.

Each entertainer seemed to take art beyond any assumed limitations of the human body. Early in the show, one woman appeared to be a human merry-go-round, spinning several performers suspended from a pole with her feet (which came only after she juggled a coffee table while upside down). A performer in a later act astonished the audience with her poise by balancing rows of lit candles and cups from her forehead, chin, arms and feet. Additionally, amid the acrobatics and aerialist performances, the aptly-named “Kung-Fu Surprise” exhibited traditional Chinese martial arts.

While Meany Hall was often filled with the lively sounds of praise and applause, there were also multiple times when the venue was muted by an audience that seemed to be collectively holding its breath at the jaw-dropping display.

The Peking Acrobats’ displays were all the more remarkable considering that the artists were performing each without the use of any special effects or safety equipment.

Unfortunately, a few of the performances in the first half stood out as less than impressive in relation to the high bar set by the program overall.

In one segment, a performer juggled a pot between his legs, and, while not an easy feat by any means, the artist dropped the item several times before the end of his piece. In another, “Darling Diablos,” five women spun several Chinese yo-yos in a display that, while entertaining, seemed to carry on for much longer than necessary.

Several clown-like characters appeared onstage throughout the program to poke at the seriousness of the often tense and risky stunts. The comedians, however, seemed out of place in the acrobatic show, acting more as awkward space fillers.

Except for the comedians and what appeared to be a technical error with a platform in one act, the show transitioned smoothly between each piece. The second half of the program showed substantial improvement from the first, with each act an outstanding and diverse performance.

In the show’s second half, one aerialist mounted a series of six chairs set on top of each other, while in a later segment six performers balanced atop stacked chairs 21 feet in the air (an act that the group previously performed on FOX’s “Guinness World Records: Primetime”).

The highlight of the Peking Acrobats’ program came with a finale that brought together all of the group members in displays of acrobatics, contortionism and juggling. A full ending only came about after the performers managed to fit 12 individuals waving fans on one bicycle, riding away before the curtain closed.

Reach reporter Julian Martin at arts@dailyuw.com.