If, like most people, you didn't get a chance to go to Beijing and witness the spectacular show of human strength, agility and showmanship that is the Olympics, have no fear, Cirque du Soleil offers a chance to see some other extraordinary physical feats (and you don't even have to travel to the other side of the world). Founded in 1984 by veteran stilt-walker and fire-eater Quebecois Guy Lalibert, Cirque du Soleil comes to Amherst with its Saltimbanco Arena Tour, an adaptation of Saltimbanco, the group's oldest touring show, which ran from 1992 to 2006.
Inspired by the "urban fabric of the metropolis and its colorful inhabitants," the show features a myriad of acts, including scantily clad performers leaping to and from a Russian swing; an artist riding a bike while playing guitar and dancing; acrobats in Technicolor costumes swinging from poles 25 feet above the stage; three performers, inspired by acrosport, creating striking figures with their melded bodies; and dancers performing a breathtaking aerial ballet.
Sept. 3-4: 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 5-6: 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sept. 7, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Mullins Center, UMass-Amherst, (413) 733-2500, www.cirquedusoleil.com.
