The Jabali Acrobats show was an extremely entertaining display perfect for Siblings Weekend. On Saturday, March 31, Wadsworth Auditorium was packed with people excited to see the antics of the Jabali group, whose performance was much like watching an intense circus act. There were simple props - chairs, blocks, hoops, a jump rope - that the acrobats used in their stunts. The most impressive feats, however, were at the end of the show, when the group used only their own bodily skills to entertain the audience.
Even from the very back of the auditorium, it was clear that the Jabali Acrobats were in incredible physical shape, as they pulled off flips, cartwheels and handstands throughout the night. Not for one moment did the acrobats stop moving.
Even if a member wasn't directly involved in the stunt being performed, they were constantly bobbing and dancing to the music being played. There was a point where members from the audience were invited to come up on stage to participate in a limbo contest. The acrobats used their incredible amount of energy and passion to get the entire audience clapping and the people on stage dancing. It was a very family-friendly moment, great for the younger siblings who had come to Geneseo to visit their big brothers and sisters.
There were several feats involving various props that awed the audience. Two of the acrobats twirled a jump rope while others did backflips, push-ups, break-dancing and handstands. One of the acrobats even jumped rope while sitting. In a fantastic stunt one member of the group balanced on his hands on top of blocks stacked up so that they were only about an inch wide, but at least a foot high. He then proceeded to throw the blocks one at a time away from him, alternating from the left to the right side, until he was balanced by his hands on the bench the blocks had been resting on.
The most amazing tricks in the show were almost impossible to describe. Essentially the acrobats threw themselves at one another in order to build massive human sculptures. Whether these were interesting takes on the usual "human pyramid," or completely outrageous shapes that seemed impossible, they were all astonishing. The audience got a feel of how hard these stunts could be when during one there was a slip-up and the whole "structure" came apart before it was completed. However, the acrobats didn't let this set them back but rather proceeded to do the trick all over again.
The Jabali Acrobats show was probably one of the most entertaining events the College has ever hosted for Siblings Weekend. It was very energetic, friendly, and was long enough to be entertaining, but not too long to become repetitive or boring. Kudos should be given to Limelight for making this show possible, and, of course, to the Jabali Acrobats themselves.