Acrobatic art

For as long as I can remember, “Chinese variety art” has always captured my imagination. Some of my formative memories include sitting in my Chinese grandparents' apartment, watching Chinese acrobats on the television and wondering how anyone could possibly balance that many bowls on their head. And from the looks of it, Cirque Zíva is one of the best of the modern yet traditional Chinese acrobatic art troupes. Their performance-art routine includes heart-attack-inducing shticks such as: balancing a sword vertically on top of one's head, riding around a stage with 10 people balanced on one bicycle and—one of my all-time favorites—performing a handstand on top of a chair atop a ladder. Sure, it's little more than a glorified circus act, but it's done so well that you should prepare to be impressed, anxious and thoroughly entertained—all at the same time. Saturday, January 18, 7 p.m., $21-$45. Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway in Folsom; (916) 608-6888; www.harriscenter.net.