Vancouver: Shen Yun (Divine) Performing Arts 2009 World Tour

SHOW TIME(S)

Fri, April 3, 2009, 7:30pm
Sat, April 4, 2009, 2:30pm & 7:30pm
Sun, April 5, 2009, 2:30pm
Mon, April 6, 2009, 7:30pm
Tue, April 7, 2009, 7:30pm
Wed, April 8, 2009, 7:30pm

VENUE

Queen Elizabeth Theatre

600 Hamilton St

Vancouver, BC, V6B 2P1

CANADA

SEE MAP: Google Maps

TICKETS

PRICES: $139, $119, $89, $69, $49, $39
ONLINE: www.ticketmaster.ca
PHONE: 604-280-4444 (Ticketmaster)
604-454-1110 (Presenter)

Shen Yun’s Performance “was from the past, given to the future”, says Australia Dance Enthusiast

Epoch Times Staff, Mar 30, 2009-

CANBERRA, Australia—For many, the experience of watching Shen Yun’s Performing Arts 2009 World Tour is hard to express in words. But for Ms. Brien, a counsellor and dance enthusiast, there weren’t enough words to express how much it moved her.

“Tonight was exceptional. It was beyond my expectations!

“It spoke to the individual, of what they want to say through dance. It was spiritual, it was meaningful. … You could lose yourself in every step they did. … And the colours, the meaning of the whole thing. It was like opening up a book, when you see dance like that, you forget where you are. You forget all your troubles, you forget who you are, and you’re reminded of other cultures around the world, and how they can be transformed into speaking our language through the steps of dancing. And when they speak different languages, they’re all speaking the same language—all in one, through the heart and through the spirit. … I can take this home, and if I die tomorrow, I had a wonderful night, I can take something with me. It’s just beautiful, really beautiful.”

Ms. Brien’s favourite dance was Mulan Joins the Battle, which she felt expressed so much about the Chinese. “The ultimate sacrifice is your life and, through dance, she showed that. And people have given their lives, and the Chinese not only feel that, know that, they are readily able and willing to give their lives for another, and what they did through dance, it’s sharing that … the spiritualness of it, the love they have for each other.”

Ms. Brien explained how the Chinese beliefs and what was passed down from their ancestors really came through in the dance. “The divine dance was not only given to us tonight, but the spirituality from it, from the ancestors, was also shared with the people tonight in Australia—I grasped it with open hands and heart from the Chinese, I’m truly grateful for what they’ve given us tonight.”

Asked if she would recommend the show to her friends, Ms. Brien replied, “Oh, absolutely! I would like to say to them: ‘If you ever want to see something that is meaningful, in-depth, spiritual, and something from the old world given to the new, then you must go and see this! Exceptional colours, everything was beautiful, It’s beyond the word ‘beautiful.’ It was from God, it was from the past, given to the future, and that’s what I would tell them. … Open your heart, let it come out like a flower, let it grow in your heart, let the Chinese teach us and show us what they have received from the past and from their ancestors, and let them show us more, and go and learn all about it, and see it, and be touched by the love.”

Although Ms. Brien had seen Chinese dance before on television, this was the first time she had seen it so close, and experienced what the dancing meant for the dancers, as well as the audience. “When I saw the Chinese dancing tonight, the girls and the guys, they not only danced with what they were taught and what they know, they danced with their heart, with their spirits—the expression on their faces was phenomenal. They felt it, they spoke it without saying anything, they spoke every step through motion, through their eyes, through their expression. Everything tonight was from their being, their whole being, everything was just phenomenal, giving their all. And they did it out of their heart, you can see they love everything they do. It wasn’t just a show, tonight wasn’t just a performance, it was part of their life, it was part of them, given to us.”

Ms. Brien’s last words were for the dancers: “I’d like to say thank you to the people, and thank you for the experience of knowing what people think and feel in their heart. Thank you for everything they’ve shown us and given us tonight, and thank you for coming to Australia and doing it for us, being there, and just, thank you, thank you for everything!”

- The Epochtimes

Fashion Professor: DPA Show ‘Manifests heaven to the secular world’

SEOUL, South Korea—Among the full-house audience of Divine Performing Arts (DPA) 2009 World Tour at Universal Arts Center in Seoul on February 8 was Ji-Won Yun, a fashion professor at the Seoul National University.

The opening scene The Five Millenia Begin left the deepest impression on Ms. Yun, particularly the moment when the 5,000 years of Chinese history was launched by the Yellow Emperor, who descended from heaven.

“I told my kid that today I saw a show that manifests Heaven to the secular world,” she said. “Last year when I watched DPA, I said to myself, ‘Ah, there’s such show existing.’ This time when I watched it, my heart was very calm. Last year there were more programs from the Tang Dynasty and this year they went back in time to the Han Dynasty. In this show I found traditonal culture. When I saw ethnic dances of Yi, Tibetans, and dances of various ethnicities, I felt that it was the Chinese culture. They even integrated poetry into the performance and harmonized Confucianist, Buddhist, and Taoist cultures together as one. It manifested a comprehensive culture.

“Since the Han Dynasty, dancers were not merely practicing techniques, they were cultivating. From eating, living to walking postures, everything was cultivation. I could see that also from the performance today. Nothing was simply practice, everything was cultivation.”

Ms. Yun was also moved by another program, Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution, based on a true story where a father is persecuted to death for his belief in Falun Gong in mainland China.

“A cultivator’s determination in his belief eventually trascends all darkness and welcomes brightness. A life was elevated. I was touched to tears.

“I want to teach my kid to know how to cultivate the heart; have hope in your heart; do not hold prejudice towards others; accept and open your hearts to others; you cannot attack other people, but have tolerance.”

Ms. Yun currently has a contract with Korea’s MBC television station to design costumes for an upcoming 50-episode drama, Queen Seondeok of Silla.

“Although MBC provided me with some suggested designs, many of them are very identical … Many aspects of [DPA costumes] can be inspiration for my designs, including styles, textures of materials and overall shapes, etc.

“Even though I always design and make costumes, I have never worn one myself. I made many samples for the drama, but I let the new designers try them on. I wish I could try them on actually, particularly the ones that are beautiful, with wide sleeves and easy to move around with.

“Costumes with sleeves that are wide and broad are the style of heavenly beings. Anyways, wide sleeves look very elegant; they leave a floating impression. [Those kind of costumes] belong to the fairies who I often have imagined as a child.”

Ms. Yun felt that the reason DPA is so renowned around the world is because it resonants between people of all backgrounds.

“Chinese culture lasted for a very long time; it’s the center of civilizations. Western ballet emphasizes on limited techniques, yet classical Chinese dance has various movements. Taoism says that people can cultivate to gods and also can come back to life. It lets people cultivate their characters—quietly improving in their secular lives—and solve their lives’ fundamental issues.

“I think traditional culture is not boring and old-fashioned like people say nowadays, DPA’s performance is fascinating. It tells stories through dance and combines history with modern days. It blends Western culture with the East, so people can all understand.”

She said that through the performance, people can rediscover many values that are vanishing today.

“[After you watch the show] you no longer emphasise selfishly on yourself, but to harmonize with the ethnicity, with the society. You should treat neighbors and friends with kindness rather than with stubbornness. You can maybe try to stand in others’ shoes.”

- The Epochtimes

Stage manager: ‘Until you see it, you can’t imagine how good a show it is’– The Chinese Spectacular

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Little Rock resident Mr. Hardy had been looking forward to the Divine Performing Arts since it was announced the New York based performance group would play at the Robinson Center Music Hall.

As a stage manager he is familiar with the theater but nothing prepared him for The Spectacular.

“Until you see it, you can’t imagine how good a show it is—its just really a good show,” he said.

Mr. Hardy enjoyed all of it, he said, “the costumes, dancing, singing, all of it—choreography–all of it, just great” but was particularly taken with the drumming [Drummers of the Tang Court] and Welcome Spring, a fan dance depicting the colors and vitality of spring.

The warmth of spring is a welcome blessing after winter’s cold in this festive, floral scene. Quick footwork, crisp movements, and stunning bursts of color form the basis of these women’s fan dance and its sense of sheer delight.

“I think it was just the fans, it looked just like a field of flowers blooming—it was just beautiful, just really beautiful. And the colors … My! That’s what my granddaughter said, ‘the colors’! … It just really came to life”.

Mr. Hardy’s seven year old granddaughter, daughter and son-in law also came to the show and he said they had all enjoyed their night, particularly his granddaughter

“My granddaughter especially, she comes to a lot of shows and a lot of them she is bored,” he said.
In the Divine Performing Arts however she “was sitting on the edge of the seat all night long. She really enjoyed it,” he said.

Mr. Hardy said the Divine Performing Arts had increased his interest in Chinese culture and he was looking forward to the company’s return the following year.

“I learned a lot of stuff about the Chinese people. Of course, I’ve always known they’ve been rich in their culture and heritage … I sure hope they come back. It was really a great show.”

- The Epochtimes, Feb. 09, 2009

Divine Performing Arts ‘Flawless and Impeccable’, says Well-known Korean Music Critic

SEOUL, South Korea— For Koreans who like to listen to the radio, relaxing music, or jazz, almost all of them know about Jin-Mo Kim. On Feb. 7, the well-known Korean music critic watched the fifth Divine Performing Arts (DPA) performance in Seoul.

In addition to being a music critic, Mr. Kim is a well-known music composer. He used to be a program host on KBS radio, host of Kim Jin-Mo music channels on Busan FM radio and the deputy chief of the Ke-Xi monthly magazine. Mr. Kim has introduced more than 500 pieces of classical music to Korean audiences.

He said the show is as beautiful as a dream: “DPA shows are very beautiful. It has myths, paintings, and also has dreams. It is as beautiful as a dream, but also very real to watch their performance on stage. These are all based on the ancient oriental culture. The performances give people hope for their future. I have been immersed in the bliss from the beginning to the end.”

Mr. Kim said he himself also often participated in stage performances. From a professional’s point of view, all aspects of the DPA show, including the stage layout, music, stories, etc., all left him astonished. He insists that he benefited a lot from watching DPA.

“The timing of the performers’ actions and the changing backdrop is perfectly simultaneous. It surprised me that the computer technologies were used so perfectly,” he said.

“I am also learning Oriental instruments myself. The cultural foundation between the Eastern and Western music is different. Many people want to combine Eastern and Western music, but they rarely succeed. However, what I saw from today’s performance is that the overall music is very harmonious, I have learned a lot indeed.”

He said that the performance was very harmonious and profound. “It is not to say that a performance has to reach a certain level visually in order to be accepted, what I want to say is that the show will be loved by all men, women, or children, no matter who watch it.”

“I’ve watched many performances and dances, which were based on stories. In those circumstances, audiences need to read the script in advance or the stories are some well-known works. So when the audiences watch the shows, they have to already be familiar with the plot and know how to appreciate it. It’s not difficult. However, for today’s program, audiences can perfectly understand the message from the program without needing a prior understanding of the story. I am very surprised.”

He once again said, “Every work is so flawless and impeccable.”

“I think their message is that current humanity is on its last leg. We have lost a lot of our true selves, and I think that humanity needs to recover what it has lost.”

Mr. Kim has experienced ups and downs in life and now likes to live in the distant mountains. He often travels to various places to witness people’s struggles. He has been to India eight times, and has also been to Japan, South-East Asia, Africa and other places.

“I hope that more people will watch the performance, so more audiences will be able to appreciate the beauty of this performances.”

- The Epochtimes, Feb. 09, 2009

Professor: ‘The opening act’ of Divine Performing Arts ‘took my breath away’

ST. LOUIS— The Divine Performing Arts (DPA) performed at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in St. Louis on Feb. 7 as part of the DPA 2009 World Tour. The show won the acclaim of both Eastern and Western members of the audience.

Mr. Behrmen, a professor and dean at St. Louis University, said the show far surpassed his expectations. He said that the opening act, The Five Millennia Begin took his breath away to the point where he shouted out, “Amazing!”

“I am breathless. It is visually spectacular, awe-inspiring, brilliant, and amazing. The flowing colors, body movements, and costumes are spectacular, Behrmen said. “The visual experience is what makes it so dynamic. To watch this on television or on a DVD would not be the same.”

Behrmen said he was awestruck by the blend of Chinese and Western instruments. “It captured the environment. I felt like I was being lifted off my seat by the music and the human movement on stage!”

The DPA orchestra is a classical Western orchestra that is augmented with traditional Chinese instruments.

The singers especially impressed Behrmen. He said they filled the whole auditorium with their voices. “Some of the notes that they are able to hold and elaborate are just incredible,” he said.

The vocal soloists of DPA are elite, highly acclaimed singers who perform throughout the year on many of the world’s greatest stages.

Behrmen was deeply moved by the dance Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution. “I was thinking, it is just amazing how much the human body can communicate without language—how well that story can be told without a spoken word, beautifully depicted and communicated without a single word,” he said.

Behrmen said that this is a year of hope: “It is a planetary experience that there is hope in the air. What I have seen on this stage is that expression of hope. Having an event like this brings me hope that … all cultures can recreate the planet in a harmonious way,” he said.

He would like to see that captured in our dialog with one another and in our diplomacy.
“That was my spiritual awareness during the show,” he said.

Behrmen’s only regret is that he missed the opportunity to invite all his Chinese students to the show as he thinks they would have been so proud of the Chinese culture presented by Divine Performing Arts. He said he hopes that DPA will return next year; he will not miss that opportunity again.

- The Epochtimes, Feb. 08, 2009

(Video) Well-Known Broadway Critic: Chinese Spectacular Is A ‘Five Star’ Show

NTD TV on Youtube , January 12, 2009-

And finally… He’s a man that’s seen literally thousands of shows on countless stages. But Broadway critic Richard Connema still called the Chinese New Year spectacular a quote, “mind-blowing” experience.
Richard Connema, critic for Talkin’ Broadway and seasoned theater patron has the highest praise for Divine Performing Arts’ Chinese New Year Spectacular in San Francisco.

[Richard Connema, Broadway Critic]:
“I probably have reviewed over 3 to 4 thousand shows since 1942. A lot of reviewers use stars, you know, 1 star, 2 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars, 5 stars… I will give this production 5 stars. That’s the top,” he said.

[Richard Connema, Broadway Critic]:
“The dancers were absolutely fantastic … I found out that there was not only dancing in this but heart. You could feel that coming even from where I was sitting … Just a beautiful production. I found that those backdrop scenes and the way it was projected and the way it comes out is absolutely fantastic.

[Richard Connema, Broadway Critic]:
“I’ve never seen anything like that. I’ve seen enough Broadway shows that still cannot compare to what I saw tonight The best word to use was “mind blowing”. And I watched around the audience and they all were so involved with everything going on.

[Richard Connema, Broadway Critic]:
“There’s movement between everything, even the narrators coming up, giving you a little insight and they move right into a dance… perfect!”

NTD, San Francisco.

University VP Says Divine Performing Arts Show is ‘Sublime artistry’

INDIANAPOLIS—Divine Performing Arts (DPA) delighted the audience at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis on Saturday, Jan. 31, with its unique presentation of Chinese traditional culture.

Ms. Hanson, executive vice president of a major Midwestern university, was highly impressed with DPA’s visual feast of classical Chinese dance and Chinese ethnic and folk dance performed to original music.

“It was marvelous,” she said. “It was sublime artistry. Spectacular—just marvelous in every respect.”

Ms. Hanson said she had seen the show before but not in its entirety. “The historical sweep, the beauty of every section of it—it was just inspiring.”

The New York-based DPA is composed of a unique group of leading artists who share in a vision of reviving Chinese traditional culture which was all but destroyed after the advent of communism to China.

“One of the things that struck me was the kind of melding of the arts into the performance and the window into culture, as well as the really superb artistry of every one of the performers, singers, and dancers, each one individually. Together it was breathtaking,” Ms. Hanson said.

When asked what she thought about the message the show imparted, she said, “It was wonderful. The sort of emphasis on compassion is something we can all learn a lesson from.”

Ms. Hanson added that she thought the show “was a marvelous window into all sorts of elements of Chinese arts and culture. My home discipline is philosophy, so I loved hearing about Confucius too—the same message of Socrates, about knowing what you don’t know.”

Commenting on other aspects of the show, Ms. Hanson said that the projected backdrops “were quite intriguing. I don’t know enough technologically to know how that’s produced, but it was an interesting way of conveying various elements of the narrative.”

DPA makes use of an innovative digital backdrop that provides an animated setting to frame each dance. In some of the pieces, the scenes on the backdrop interact with the dances on stage.

The show also features accomplished solo singers and musicians as well as a live orchestra that combines Chinese and Western music and instruments

“The music was wonderful too in each of the episodes of the singing and dancing. There was humor in the introduction of the orchestra. I think we all learned something and had a great experience,” Ms. Hanson said.

She described the piece, Mulan Joins the Battle as “terrific.” A legend in Chinese history, Mulan joined the army disguised as a man in her ailing father’s place.

Ms. Hanson concluded by saying that the show “taught all of us a lot about the history of Chinese culture …. Bringing things from the various provinces was a wonderful element of the show too. It was terrific.”

- The Epochtimes

World Renowned Cellist: ‘beauty, purity, sincerity, excellence’ of Chinese New Year Splendor

NEW YORK— Concert cellist, Christine Walesvska was right at home at the Radio City Music Hall’s matinee session of the Divine Performing Arts (DPA) Chinese New Year Splendor on Sunday Jan. 25.

“This is just spectacular as always. It’s just incredible how creative and how each time they are doing new dances,” she said. “I love it, just love it”.

Ms. Walesvska has seen the Divine Performing Arts Chinese New Year shows for the last four years.
Last year, however, she was forced to miss it at this venue. A soloist since she was 18, Ms. Walesvska is world renowned and travels a lot to perform. Last year, for the first time, she was away for the Radio City season. While she still caught the show at the Beacon Theatre instead, it was good to be back at the famous theater.

“I mean, it’s just phenomenal, it’s just incredible. As always the dancing is exquisite and the beauty of everything and the backdrops. It’s certainly the place to have it here, in the Radio City Music Hall, just incredible.”

Ms. Walesvska said she was intrigued by the history of Chinese dance, noting its influence on modern acrobatics.

“I am very happy that the Master of Ceremonies told us that these phenomenal flips that they do … you know, I thought that it was part of acrobatics, but he explained that it was from thousands of years ago, that it’s the tradition that’s been passed on, but to do that without even putting your hands on the floor, just flipping!”

The Divine Performing Arts’ focus on traditional Chinese culture is, in fact, one of the main features Ms. Walesvska loves about the show.

“Yes, I have learned lots of new things. They are bringing back for the world to see the traditions of the ancient Chinese and I think that’s what’s so fantastic,” she said. Adding that different traditional cultures around the world “have been burned out” over the years but she believed the DPA was invigorating a renaissance in the classical arts of ancient China.

“When you look at, for instance, the ancient Chinese materials, and I have some beautiful ancient robes myself, and then you see well, yes, this group is inspired by all of that beauty of yester year.

“Then you look at what mediocrity is considered to be modern art and you say, ‘well my goodness’ I mean thousands of years ago all of this beauty existed and where are we now?”

As a musician, Ms. Walesvska noted particularly the role music played and the musicians played in the performance, describing the erhu player as “just most exquisite.”

“We, as interpreters, have the great joy of bringing to the audience from a different era something of great beauty that is rare to find today, and that’s what I think everybody appreciates about this show,” she said.

Ms. Walesvska looked around the foyer for the friends she had invited to see the show, noting with appreciation the three different companies now touring the world at the same time. “I am so happy … It is just so magnificent,” she said.

She tells her friends, “if you want to be uplifted, if you want to see something of sheer beauty, grace, magnificence,” then this is the show to see. “It puts you in another world, and I think that that’s also the great power of music because it has the capacity of lifting people’s spirits and inspiring their souls, and that’s what you have with this show.”

She used the words “beauty, purity, sincerity, excellence,” to sum up her feelings about the show, noting that “when you think of the amount of practise that it takes for this tremendous dancing together…and the things that you see, it’s so fantastic.”

She said the dancers were “very, very beautiful, extremely beautiful” and again reiterated how impressed she was with the new show. “I just cannot believe how they have different costumes each year, different dances, the music is gorgeous and it was just marvellous. I loved every minute of it,” she said.

- The Epochtimes: World Renowned Cellist: ‘ I loved every minute of it’

The Show ‘Beautiful, beautiful! Very uplifting’ Says Photographer

TORONTO— When Mr. Rodrigues, an accomplished photographer, saw the Divine Performing Arts’ Yi Ethnic Dance on Sunday in Toronto, he was impressed.

“Beautiful colours, beautiful, beautiful!  Very uplifting,” said Mr. Rodrigues who was also captivated by the choreography of the dance whose playful movements and silken rainbow-like skirts depict the joyful spirit of the Yi people, one of southern China’s largest ethnic groups.

“They were swinging their dresses and it kind of gave you that whole motion feeling.  It was kind of nice,” he said.

Mr. Rodrigues, who has worked for advertising agencies nation-wide, has also employed his creative photography on brand name campaigns for the likes of Cambell’s, General Mills, Maple Leaf, Kraft, Tim Hortons, Jello-O, and Molson.

He said he was impressed by the aesthetic beauty of the entire show.

“Almost everything is a picture by itself,” he said.

Mr. Rodrigues, who brought his adopted 11-year-old daughter from mainland China, was also interested in the cultural aspect of the show.

“It was important for us to come and see it.  That was really good.”

Divine Performing Arts will take to the stage twice more in Toronto on Tuesday and Wednesday evening before moving on to New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall. Divine Performing Arts has two other dance company’s currently touring in the United States.

- The Epochtimes, Jan 11, 2009