A small group of Chinese acrobats — contortionists might be a better word — have become the must-see traveling attraction at the Indiana State Fair.

Each day, the half-hour show by an incredibly nimble group of youthful-looking performers has drawn standing-room-only crowds of 350 to 400.

It’s among the free events offered at the fair, and in years past not all free events — which have included alligators and sideshow acts — have filled up.

But the acrobats, making their first appearance at this fair, have been a word-of-mouth success, with folks showing up a half-hour early just to get a seat.

“They were fabulous,” said Jeanette Kopernak, a Southside resident who caught the show this week. “It was really an unbelievable act.”

Like many fairgoers, Kopernak got her first view of the Stars of the Peking Acrobats from a nearby sidewalk, peering inside the tent and seeing glasses of water, plates, eggs, hands and arms lifted high in the air.

“I saw the plates first,” she said. “This is my fourth trip to the fair, and I finally got a seat. These kids should be in Las Vegas.”

Cynthia Dike-Hughes, vice president of California-based IAI Presentations, said this group of performers has been traveling the country for the past four months, appearing at fairs and theme parks. Before coming to Indiana, they were in Quebec at a circus festival; from here, they head to a county fair near Los Angeles.

“They all come from various regions and cities within China,” she said. “Some are related . . . and they range in age from 16 to 25 years old.”

During their brief show, they use props to perform awe-inspiring acts of balance and body-twisting and thrilling feats that involve stacking performer on top of performer . . . on top of chairs.

None of them speaks English. Since arriving in America, though, they have picked up singing along with rock music, “but they don’t know what most of the words mean,” Dike-Hughes said.

The performers are chosen by artistic director Ken Hai, a retired fourth-generation Chinese acrobat who travels back to China to find new performers as needed.

“Their training begins at age 5 or 6 and continues until the age of 16, the age of emancipation in China,” Dike-Hughes said. “At this point, the artists become professional performers.”

While at the fair, they have been performing three to four times a day at Riley Fun Park on the northeast corner of the fairgrounds.

Being a Chinese acrobat is like being an American opera star, according to the performers’ Web site. Acrobatics is a much-appreciated art form in China and has been part of the culture since 200 B.C.

Of course, while here at the fair, the young performers are learning a little bit about Hoosier traditions — especially at the food booths.

“Yes, they enjoy funnel cakes and the occasional pizza,” said Dike-Hughes. "And I have seen them eat the cotton candy.

“They have to watch their diets very carefully, as they are athletes, but occasional treats are part of the fun of working the fairs.”