Thunder Valley Casino Resort brings in the Chinese New Year with a roar.

On Monday January 23 the Chinese will ring in the New Year welcoming the almighty dragon. Yes, it’s the year of the dragon, representing power and luck. Some say it’s akin to the phoenix rising above the ashes.

Kicking off the weekend celebration for the Chinese New Year, Thunder Valley hosted the Chinese Acrobats of Hebei , providing a stunning show of incredible acrobatics, beautiful costumes, and a great soundtrack.

The first act was the Lion dance, or was it the dragon dance? This dance has evolved from the traditional folk dance of China, incorporating acrobatics making it much more entertaining for audiences. This is in fact the lion dance and shouldn’t be confused with the longer more undulating character, the dragon. Yes, those were lions onstage.

Next up were three young ladies on unicycles, balancing metal bowls on top of their head and feet. They would toss the bowls to each other and on to their heads. It was quite spectacular to watch – at least when they completed the feat successfully. Apparently a couple of them were in training, or having an off day.

I hate to criticize such an act, since I know there’s no way in hell I could come close to doing what these women do. If I were performing this feat, the bowl would end up on some poor unsuspecting audience member’s head, while I was breaking a hip.

A Chinese acrobatic show wouldn’t be complete without the famous chair stacking. This is where an individual slowly stacks chairs one on top of the other, finally balancing on the top chair. As the stack grows the more precarious the position becomes, and the more spectacular the act.

Thankfully there were no mishaps, since there was no safety line or net involved.

Okay, I take back what I said earlier. A Chinese acrobatic show wouldn’t be complete without the world famous juggling hats. This act is a gem when performed by highly trained individuals. It’s fast paced and stunning to watch as five individuals juggle hats between each other in a well-choreographed routine. It really is quite spectacular.

The group went through a number of routines including a lady juggling a large clay pot and a table – not at the same time, but all with her feet!

A number of young men came out and performed hoop diving. This is where hoops of various sizes are stacked on top of each other while the men run and jump through the hoops. There were a few mishaps, but on subsequent tries they were able to complete it successfully.

Wrapping up the show was pole dancing – no, not that kind of pole dancing. There were six men, each bringing a special twist to pole dancing. Some seem to float in the air with one hand on the pole, while others would jump from one pole to the other and then drop quickly, only to stop just prior to reaching the floor.

With all things Cirque de Soleil, it’s refreshing to see an act such as this, where taking some ordinary items such as hats, jars, and chairs, and transforming them into a great evening of entertainment.

Chinese New Year is observed for two consecutive weeks, and is popularly known as Spring Festival. It usually starts from late January and early February, depending on the track of the new moon.

So the fun at Thunder Valley isn’t over! They will be hosting a free spectacular fireworks show next Friday January 27, at 9:30 pm.

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Randy Miramontez - Downtown Sacramento - Bay Area Concerts