Stage: National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China

Direct from Beijing and on tour in the U.S. for the first time, the National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China open the Pepperdine University Center for the Arts’ 2011-12 season. Dazzling, dizzying and often gravity-defying, the award-winning group of acrobats and contortionists has wowed audiences around the globe for more than 60 years. Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. 2 p.m. Sun. Sold out. (310) 506-4522. arts.pepperdine.edu.