(Clearwisdom.net) On March 17, Divine Performing Arts presented the 2007 Chinese New Year Spectacular at the Conservatorium Theatre, South Bank, Brisbane. Nearly one thousand audience members from Brisbane watched the Spectacular. At the conclusion of the show, the audience gave lengthy warm applause and were reluctant to leave.
Divine Performing Arts had two shows at the Conservatorium Theatre, the first performances in the Southern Hemisphere after the troupe toured eighteen cities and presented forty-seven shows in North America, Europe and Japan. Local political VIPs, diplomats in Australia, and Chinese-Australians watched the two shows and had high praise for the performances.
Professor Chiu Chui-liang (left), Research Councilor for the University of Queensland and Director of the Taiwanese Association of Australia, and the president of NTDTV Australia take a picture together at a cocktail party
"Distilled the important meaning of life"
Professor Chiu Chui-liang, Research Councilor for the University of Queensland and former consultant for national policy of Taiwan, and director of the Taiwanese Association of Australia, said that the performance distilled the important meaning of life, such as the value of life, what humans live for, and how humans should live together.
He feels that modern society is a world of chaos. Chinese society is full of moral crises and there is no trust between people. He believes the performance is significant in that it expresses the meaning of life.
He indicated that from an artistic standpoint the show is very highly professional, including the integration of costume, dance, and music. The most righteous and graceful side of Chinese traditional culture was presented through the dances of different ethnic groups, which suggested the high standard of the performance. The audience felt the connotations of traditional Chinese culture. China is composed of not only the Han race, but other races, traditional cultures and religions.
Professor Chiu said that he enjoyed seeing different cultural performances, such as the dancing of Mongolia and Tibet. Chinese traditional culture, religion, and values draw attention in Western society. He felt that the performances presented these values from different angles comprehensively and with a high artistic standard.
He said, "Traditional Chinese culture has a long history. Many different connotations are passed down through dynasties and generations. Many were destroyed during history. This show gathers the essence of the traditional culture and merges it into the whole world. I hope that the whole world can see this show. It is a cultural exchange for the whole world. It is most important."
"Feast of spiritual culture"
Tien Chung-kuang, Director of the Taiwan Economic and Culture Office in Brisbane, watches the show
Tien Chung-kuang, Director of the Taiwan Economic and Culture Office in Brisbane, watched the Spectacular. He said it was a wonderful show, presenting the broad and deep traditional Chinese culture through dance, costumes and music. "I believe that it is a feast of spiritual culture for all the audience. I feel it is very good. Thank you. Especially the dances, 'A Dunhuang Dream' and 'Resounding Drums', each performer was full of delight and had a smiling face. It is very good. All the performers delivered their message through their performance."
"Very beautiful and characteristic of Chinese culture"
Consul of the Netherlands Kasper Kuiper said that this was a nice show and one could understand some of the current situations in China through the graceful and professional dancing. He said he enjoyed the performance very much and felt that the whole show was very beautiful and characteristic of traditional Chinese culture.
"All the music and dancing was beautiful and splendid"
Vice-Consul Megan Hunt of the United Kingdom
Vice-Consul Megan Hunt of the United Kingdom said she was very pleased to watch the show. The music and dancing was beautiful and splendid. She especially liked the "Mongolian Bowl Dance."
"Learned about traditional Chinese culture and art from the show"
Maria Gacia, an officer from the Mexican Consulate
Maria Gacia, an officer from the Mexican Consulate, said that she enjoyed each performance in the Spectacular. She said that all the costumes were so colorful and each number was performed on a grand scale and so professionally. In addition, from the show, she learned about traditional Chinese culture and arts.
"One doesn't often see such a high-level performance in Brisbane."
Doctor Lu Yongjie of the Brisbane Chinese Association said in an interview during the intermission, "Wonderful. The program is so rich, including the well-designed backdrop screen and costumes. One doesn't often see such a high-level performance. Thank you."
"The performance is very good"
Mr. Liu Dawen, known as the father of Brisbane Chinatown, said, "The performance is very good. They must have put forth a lot of effort. The costumes are so beautiful and the dancing is very good."
"This performance displays the essence of traditional Chinese culture"
Mr. David Hinchliffe, Deputy Mayor of Brisbane
Mr. David Hinchliffe, Deputy Mayor of Brisbane, praised the show highly when addressing the NTDTV cocktail party. He said that all art performances should be educational. This show has significant educational meaning, yet it also gives people great enjoyment from a purely artistic point of view as well. Mr. Hinchliffe said that the best way to learn about Chinese culture is to learn the essence of traditional Chinese culture. His said that this show displays the essence of Chinese culture, no matter whether solo performances, dancing, or in other areas. Each performance is the best that Chinese people can present to the world.
"My child has never seen such a performance of traditional culture. Thank you."
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman of Brisbane and his family watch the performance
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman of Brisbane said during an interview that his wife, child and he were very pleased to watch the performance. Everyone was happy to be there. He said, "My child has never seen such a performance of traditional Chinese culture. Thank you."
"The show with most inner meaning in half a century"
Mr. Chen Baotong, a Chinese man from a cultural circle in China and now living in Australia, said that in the past half a century, this was the first show to present recollections and yearning for traditional culture. He said, "Today's show has rich inner meaning and really presents traditional Chinese culture. Each performance has the same goal -- to have people's spirit purified, to have people feel the brightness, righteousness, nobility, and great power of kindness and grace."
"The whole show is pure and full of grace. The skills of the participants are excellent and showed the best of traditional Chinese culture and connotation. The stories of Mulan and Yue Fei are interpreted again through the excellent performance of the dancers. The traditional Chinese virtues of loyalty, righteousness, and kindness are promoted and spread. This is a pure truth, a kind and graceful art performance without the influence of Chinese Communist Party culture. It truly presents and explains the essence of traditional Chinese culture."
"The more you watch it, the more you experience the grace of the performance"
Bishop Phillip Aspinal said, after watching the show, that it was wonderful. The music and dance impressed him. The program paid attention to traditional culture. He said, "I did not know much about Chinese culture. After watching the show, I learned a lot. The more you watch, the more you experience the grace of the performance."
"The show is very moving"
The editor of the Indian Times in Queensland, and his wife
"Those who didn't come to see the show don't know what they missed. I feel that the program is very moving and really makes one feel uplifted."
"I felt familiar with the first performance, 'Creation.' It has similarity to Indian culture. So I understood it right away. I was delighted."
"Very good and enjoyable artistic performance"
Professor Barbara Broom, Department of Music, South Queensland University
Professor Barbara Broom, of the Department of Music, South Queensland University, said that the show helped her experience a sense of gracefulness. She said that the music and dances are beautiful and splendid. She felt that it was a very good and enjoyable artistic performance. She pointed out that she especially liked the solo on the Chinese musical instrument, the Erhu. She hopes that Divine Performing Arts will perform in her hometown next year.
High Praise for Sold-out Shows
All tickets for the three shows of Divine Performing Arts in Queensland, including the two in Brisbane, were sold out before the show. The audiences gave long applause and were reluctant to leave. After the show, some audience members excitedly discussed the show, and had group photos taken outside the hall. Upon being interviewed, many audience members said that they were impressed with the unconventional performance with its rich inner meaning and well-designed stage effects.
Three teachers had come to see the show together and said that the whole performance was marvelous. One of them said, when the curtain opened each time, she wondered how marvelous the next performance would be. They said the host and hostess worked very well together, and all of their introductions made those who don't speak Chinese understand the program content.
Nurse Sarah Fideles said, "These performances brought me to a spiritual place that my heart yearns for. When I was young, I had a wish to go to a beautiful world. Today's show brought me there."
Philippine nurse Shirley and her husband
Philippine nurse Shirley and her husband watched the show. She has lived in Australia for 32 years. She said excitedly, "The performance is wonderful and beyond my expectation. The colorful costumes and dancing of the young performers creates an uplifting feeling. I may not be familiar with the background stories of the dancing, but I felt that the content is very righteous."
Mr. Li from Hong Kong
Mr. Li from Hong Kong highly praised the show. He told the reporter, "I have lived to an advanced age. This is my first time to see such a pure performance without Chinese Communist Party culture. It is wonderful. Seeing such pure, traditional Chinese culture, I see the future of China."
Greg Dean, resident of Gold Coast, Queensland
Greg Dean, a resident of Gold Coast, Queensland, said, "Gorgeous. I don't have any word to express it. It is marvelous! It is the best show I have ever seen. Wonderful. Everyone was very good. I cried during several of the pieces."
Michelle and Uma, residents of Gold Coast, indicated that they were delighted and the performance was wonderful. They will recommend it to their friends.
Farial Sakal, born in China and immigrated to Australia at four years old, said, "I felt so happy seeing the performance. It seems that I returned home." When asked about the tears on her face, she said, "Sure, sure. I was moved into tears."
Finnish-Australian Puula Miettinen mentioned the opening performance, "Creation," and said that she liked this piece very much. She has visited China. When she heard the melody on the Erhu, enormous mountains in China appeared in her mind. Tears filled her eyes.
Ms. Li, who has lived for more than twenty years in Australia, said, "The performance is wonderful and very graceful. I especially liked the performance of the Erhu solo. The dancing is based on 5000-year-old Chinese court dance. If there is a performance in another province, I will invite my friends to see it."
Mariann Bray and her niece Taya came to watch the show. She said that the program was outstanding in its spiritual realm. She noted that the songs stressed inner peace.
Mr. Huang Zhuorai, President of NTDTV Australia, said, "I hope that Chinese people and the Western community will have a deeper understanding of the essence of traditional Chinese culture and art through watching the Chinese New Year Spectacular."
Divine Performing Arts will perform in Gold Coast on March 18, the last show in Queensland. After that, the troupe will bring Chinese myths and legends to more audiences in Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.
