TAIPEI— New York-based Divine Performing Arts is now following up in Taiwan, being well underway with its 22-show tour. The performance venues include the cities of Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taipei and Chiayi.
After watching the Chinese Spectacular several times, art director in a dancing company, Yang Siya, stated that Divine Performing Arts is changing the world. Originally she bought 52 tickets. Ultimately she ended up buying 80.
With over 20 years experience in dance instruction, Yang went to Radio City Music Hall in New York City at the time of the Chinese New Year to watch Divine Performing Arts’ Splendor. She said, “Art needs to move the spirit. When people’s hearts are moved, they can understand a whole lot more. Divine Performing Arts has proved this by virtue of the fact that its worldwide tour has drawn in audiences from various nationalities, cultural backgrounds and professions.”
The large background scenery really inspired Yang. “The use of simple bright and dark lights combined with high-tech backdrops, not only let people see clearly what was happening on the stage, but also changed the scenes so rapidly that they appeared so vivid and lifelike, thereby drawing in the audience’s attention and making them feel part of the show. For example, as “Lady of the Moon” was presented, suddenly the performer was shown to be flying into the heavens, the perfect harmony of this scene shocked the audiences.”
Someone asked what it takes to understand Divine Performing Arts’ performances, Yang replied with a smile, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand Chinese or have an artistic background.” She said, “Whenever ‘Nymphs of the Sea’ was shown, I could hear a murmur of wonder and delight run through the audience, followed by continuous applause then. The fairies waved the fans so gracefully that you could feel as if the sea tides were coming towards you. The pure beauty of the artistry is beyond words. Anybody can understand it.”
Yang particularly mentioned how she noticed the clear presentation of the distinction between males and females which is part of the Chinese traditional culture. The dances clearly presented the sharp contrast between Yin and Yang.
“From the perspective of dance style, Chinese classical dance can be classified as civil or martial. Male dancers appear gentle, courteous and cultivated in civil dances, and virile and masculine in martial. A man should be like a man. Females are born to be elegant and pretty. Even though in martial dances they display animated courage, they should not lose the quality of feminine softness. These characteristics are neglected in modern popular performances. However, you can clearly distinguish these characteristics in the shows by Divine Performing Arts. They truly display authentic Chinese culture to the world.”
From NTDTV video on Youtube, of Shen Yun Performance, October 2006, by Qi XiaoChun-
Sometimes known in the West as the “Chinese violin” or “Chinese two-string fiddle,” Erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras.
The Erhu consists of a long vertical stick-like neck, at the top of which are two large tuning pegs, and at the bottom is a small resonator body (sound box) which is covered with python skin on the front (playing) end. Two strings are attached from the pegs to the base, and a small loop of string (qian jin) placed around the neck and strings acting as a nut pulls the strings towards the skin, holding a small wooden bridge in place. (wikipedia)
By Jason Loftus, Epoch Times Toronto Staff, Jan 19, 2008-
TORONTO— Vanessa Harwood is among Canada’s most honoured dancers. After attending the Toronto premier of Divine Performing Arts’ Chinese New Year Spectacular at the Sony Centre she’ll be telling others about the beauty of the show.
Harwood was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada. The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, once home of National Ballet of Canada, is her home, says Harwood. She danced there with the National Ballet in the 1960’s and 1970’s and her photo still hangs on the wall in the theatre.
(photo: Honoured Canadian ballet dancer Vanessa Harwood/ by the Epochtimes)
In 1984, Harwood was honoured for her accomplishments with the country’s top civilian honour, the Order of Canada.
She attended the show Friday with her husband, Hugh Scully, is a surgeon, professor, and former president of the Ontario Medical Association.
“There’s this sort of calmness that goes through it. . . this ethereal feeling,” said Harwood, describing the show. “Everything is sort of on one level. It has passion, but yet it’s calm. And it’s beautiful.”
“It’s not just pretty pretty. It’s serious pretty – there’s a lot of depth to it, and a lot of meaning. They take it very seriously. And it’s beautiful to see it.”
The Divine Performing Arts dance company has made it a mission to revive classical Chinese dance, a form of traditional culture that has been suppressed almost to the point of extinction in China by the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
Harwood spoke about how the Khmer Rouge communist dictatorship that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 and killed a quarter of the population tried to destroy Cambodian dance but was unsuccessful.
“The Cambodian dance, they tried to kill it completely; one person survived and brought it back. Dance expresses your culture, so it will never go. It’s so important for dance as a culture to continue someone’s culture.”
“It’s like the lotus flower,” said Harwood, comparing the ability of dance to rise from adversity to that of the flower which rises from the mud to grow into something beautiful.
“If you can preserve it, it’s fantastic.”
“And there’s one other thing about dance – it has no language barrier. You can understand it no matter what your language is.”
With her past experience as a dancer Harwood said she was able to see the amount of rehearsal that went into the show. She could tell the backgrounds of many of the dancers. Besides the obvious training in classical Chinese dance Harwood identified that particular dancers were clearly trained in ballet, some in other dances.
“They’re so elegant and beautifully rehearsed. And it’s very nice to see the Chinese culture mixed with the classical dance.”
Her favourite performance depicted traditional Mongolian dancing. “There’s something mysterious about it,” she said.
Harwood is a member of the World Dance Alliance, which describes itself as the primary voice for dance and dancers throughout the world. The organization encourages the exchange of ideas and the awareness of dance in all its many forms. She said she plans to recommend the show to others in the organization.
“I’m going to have to tell them – they’ll have to see it when it comes to their town.”
“This is beautiful, it’s professional and very well done.”
The Toronto debut of the Chinese Spectacular performed before a packed Sony Centre, one of city’s top cultural venues and the largest soft-seat theatre in Canada. The audience appeared engrossed in the show, with frequent raptures of applause. An ovation sustained throughout the curtain call, with many rising to show their appreciation. Friday’s performance was the first of five shows in Toronto and one of twenty shows in Canada.
After Toronto, the Spectacular will continue on its global tour, which includes an 11-day run at the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York. The show returns to Canada for shows in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary in the spring. By the end of its tour, the show will have played to a total live audience of 650,000 in over 60 cities and 14 countries.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts shows that will perform in over 60 cities worldwide in 2008. To find a show near you, please visit www.bestchineseshows.com.
By Matthew Hildebrand, Epoch Times Ottawa Staff, Jan 15, 2008-
Playing to a sold-out crowd in Ottawa on Sunday, the Chinese New Year Spectacular, performed by the Divine Performing Arts company, dazzled a full house of 2,100 at the National Arts Centre, prompting a standing ovation.
Ontario’s Minister of Community and Social Services and Francophone Affairs, Madeleine Meilleur, had high praise for the performance.
“This show is just wonderful,” she exclaimed. “The costumes are outstanding, the choreography is wonderful—it’s a wonderful history of China through singing, dancing, and the costumes.
(photo: Ontario Liberal MPP Madeleine Meilleur. /Ivan Ning/The Epoch Times)
“I am so pleased I had the opportunity to see this show tonight as it represents very well the Chinese culture and traditions, and it’s just outstanding. There are no words to describe exactly what I saw tonight.”
Divine Performing Arts says its performances celebrate human dignity and positive values, aiming to provide an experience of consummate beauty and goodness.
“The music was wonderful; the singer had a beautiful, beautiful, golden voice.”
“The message is very clear,” Meilleur added. “You see through the dance, the choreography, the pain that Chinese people have gone through.”
Hosted in Ottawa by New Tang Dynasty TV and the Falun Dafa Association of Canada, the Spectacular will visit Europe, Asia, the U.S., and Australia before returning to Canada in April and May.
By Rahul Vaidyanath, Epoch Times Ottawa Staff, Jan 15, 2008-
Brian McAdam, a former diplomat who has much experience and insight on Asia, attended Sunday’sChinese New Year Spectacular at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa with his wife, Marie.
They attended last year’s show as well, and were just as impressed this time around.
“I loved the beauty of all the dancers, and of course, the costumes are extraordinary. I really enjoyed the drums, they were so dramatic, synchronized beyond belief, incredible,” said McAdam.
Professor Paul J. Davidson’s comments echoed that of the McAdams as well as the many VIPs in attendance on Sunday night.
“It’s an excellent show; it has a lot of values to it. I found it very enjoyable. It shows a lot of positive things for people to think about,” said Davidson, professor in the Department of Law at Carleton University and the chair of the Committee on Asian Studies.
The Spectacular features a combination of Western and Chinese musical instruments in a live orchestra. A digital background screen displayed the lyrics in English and French.
McAdam is well aware of the destruction of the Chinese culture, having lived in Hong Kong in 1968 when the Cultural Revolution was just beginning.
“Of course, the Cultural Revolution was an attempt to destroy the old culture. They were trying to destroy a culture that was almost 5,000 years old, and I thought they could never do that.”
“The communists tried to take the arts and the crafts and the music and the dance of the old culture and tried to impose their [will]. It was basically a cultural death,” he said.
MacAdam discussed how the situation in China relates to the types of suppression that have been seen in other countries and why theChinese New Year Spectacular is so special.
“Nazi Germany turned out to be a death cult. The Soviet Union tried the same thing. They tried to destroy what the Russian culture was all about. Unfortunately these tyrants survived for decades, but ultimately this human spirit brings back the true culture of the society. It’s marvelous to see again.”
Despite efforts to interfere with the show’s success by the Chinese communist regime each year through its embassies and consulates, the Spectacular continues to grow and thrive.
“They don’t want the show to have success because, again, they are a death cult. That’s what they are and they don’t want to have people realize there’s another way of living.” By the end of its global tour, an expected 650,000 people in over 60 cities will have seen the performances by Divine Performing Arts.
By Cindy Chan, Epoch Times Ottawa Staff, Jan 13, 2008-
OTTAWA—The nation’s capital was treated to an impressive helping of traditional Chinese culture with the Canadian debut of New Tang Dynasty Television’s Chinese New Year Spectacular at the National Arts Centre tonight.
Canadian Environment Minister John Baird ( photo at right) came to the pre-show VIP reception, attended by more than 100 guests, including government officials and representatives, show sponsors and leaders from the business, artistic, university, and Chinese communities.
Addressing the reception, Baird said, “I don’t think we realize how lucky we are, in the Ottawa area, in the National Capital Region, to have the performance stop here.”
Divine Performing Arts, the New York-based company presenting the show, says that beyond the aesthetics it tries to convey the traditional moral values and the true culture of China.
The show will tour over 60 cities on four continents, with stops in five other Canadian cities to follow the Canadian premiere in Ottawa.
Baird said the show presents “a very different perspective of China and the values that are at the root of a lot of Chinese civilization, which is exciting culturally and intellectually.”
“It’s certainly an exciting show, and like all cultural performances it has a great message in it. The music, the dancing, the stories behind it are amazing.”
“It’s a great performance,” he said.
Every year the Chinese communist regime attempts to interfere with the show. Last year the Chinese embassy in Ottawa went so far as to issue a statement saying it disapproved of “the participation in the ‘New Year Spectacular’ by the officials of any country in any form.” The embassy and consulates also made a great deal of publicity efforts to urge the public not to attend.
Over the last two months several U.S. officials have made public letters from Chinese consulates in the U.S. warning them not to attend the shows or to provide support or congratulatory greetings in any form.
“I didn’t receive a letter myself, but I was here last year and I am very happy to be here again this year,” said Baird.
Canada’s Governor General Michaëlle Jean sent a greeting letter, as did Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
“I have no doubt that audiences will delight in the exceptional showcase of colourful, handmade costumes, brilliant choreography and outstanding musical compositions,” said Harper in his congratulatory message.
Over ten other greetings were received from other Canadian government officials, including Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day, Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley, Minister of State and Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity) Jason Kenney, Chair of the Conservative Caucus Rahim Jaffer, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario David Onley, and Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien.
Baird wished all Chinese Canadians “a Happy New Year and the very best for health and prosperity over the next year.”
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts shows that will perform in over 60 cities worldwide in 2008. To find a show near you, please visit www.bestchineseshows.com.
By Rahul Vaidyanath, Epoch Times Ottawa Staff, Jan 13, 2008-
OTTAWA—The Chinese New Year Spectacular drew a sold-out crowd of 2,100 at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa’s premier theatre, on Sunday night in the first of 20 Canadian shows.
Among those who attended the Spectacular was Mary Jo Lynch, the director of Carleton International. That office links Ottawa’s Carleton University with the outside world through collaborative research and other projects carried out in many regions. It seeks to advance public awareness and understanding of global issues.
Lynch had previously seen Chinese Opera but this was the first time she had seen the Spectacular. “I think it is aptly named — it is spectacular, ” she said during the intermission.
“I really like the Mongolian bowl dancers. I thought that was absolutely beautiful . . . incredible grace and balance.”
Martha MacCaull, who works in sales in Ottawa, was attending her first Chinese cultural show and really enjoyed the soloists. “It was fabulous and the costumes were amazing, just everything . . . the dancing . . . it was just tremendous.”
“The themes throughout the performance of compassion, kindness and freedom were very powerful,” added MacCaull.
Lynch shared her thoughts about the spirit of the show and the importance of culture and history.
“The fact that culture and history are so important and that’s what really links people together in spite of differences and turmoil.”
The combination of a classical western orchestra augmented with Chinese instruments is an important characteristic of the music of the Chinese New Year Spectacular , which is presented by the New York-based Divine Performing Arts Touring Company.
“The music is beautiful,” said Lynch. “What I noticed most was the oriental influence but you’re seeing it in context. It is really well done.”
“The traditional Chinese instruments definitely came through,” said MacCaull.
“I was born in the East and raised in Canada, I think they portrayed it [Chinese music] very well,” said Anna Hum, who also attended the show. “Definitely I would come and see it again.”
Divine Performing Arts is based outside of China even though many of its artists received training in China. The artists in the show believe that being outside the Chinese communist regime’s influence allows for more creative freedom, leading to more pure and wholesome performance.
“The performance came across as free of any influences for sure, definitely,” said MacCaull. “I would see it again and recommend it to all of my friends.”
“Certainly, I would recommend it to people. I did hear many people at the reception say they’d come before and once you’ve done that, you want to come back…I’d like to see it again,” said Lynch.
After a second show in Ottawa on Monday, the Spectacular will move to Montreal and Toronto before continuing its world tour, which includes a 15-show run at New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall.
In all, the Spectacular will stage 220 shows in 65 cities, reaching a total live audience of about 650,000. The world-class tour will span five continents—Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America.
The show will return to Canada in the spring, when it will play in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
