(Clearwisdom.net) The Divine Performing Arts (DPA) New York Company completed its third show in Montreal's Place des Arts theater on the evening of January 17, 2009. The theater was fully packed. The exquisite and phenomenal dancing and singing, coupled with the essence of China's 5,000 years of traditional culture, amazed the Western audience and made many Chinese audience members feel great pride in their culture.
Mr. Tang is a new immigrant who just came to Canada two years ago. On the evening of January 17, 2009, he brought his mother and wife to the DPA show. He said that a show such as this one could not be seen in China. The DPA show truly highlights the art and dance of traditional Chinese culture, which is rare to see. He said that the performers have solid skills and strong expressiveness. The costumes are extremely beautiful, he added.
I was moved by Falun Gong practitioners portrayed in the dance, "Dignity and Compassion"
Mr. Tang and his family were deeply impressed by the dance drama "Dignity and Compassion." Mr. Tang said that the piece fully portrayed Falun Gong practitioners' compassion. They maintained a compassionate heart and held on to Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance even when being subjected to beatings and humiliation. He said that this is a very valuable virtue for people both inside and outside China.
Mrs. Tang just came to Montreal three months ago. She said, "Although we do not know much about Falun Gong, we respect everybody's belief."
The dance "Dignity and Compassion" portrayed a scenario in a prison in China, where a Falun Dafa prisoner of conscience is cruelly tortured to the brink of death. When her captor falls into a deep slumber afterward, he is visited by an otherworldly vision in which guardian deities seek to claim his life as repayment for his terrible act. The persecuted believer appears then as a Bodhisattva and is moved by compassion to have the man's life spared. The act of mercy is not without a message, however: that terrible consequences follow from persecution of these innocent persons. Upon awakening, the policeman is filled with deep regret for what he has done, and promptly sets free the Falun Dafa practitioner while asking her forgiveness.
The guiding mission of Divine Performing Arts is to rediscover and renew the traditional Chinese culture that has been destroyed by the Chinese Communist Party. Mr. Tang resonated with the theme of the show and was inspired. He said that he felt proud to be a Chinese, adding, "I hope both Chinese people and Western people will see the DPA show."
Mr. Tang feels that Chinese people's current orientation and their views on traditional moral values have deviated greatly from traditional values, it is very valuable that Divine Performing Arts can present China's traditional art and values at this time.
He took the dance "Mulan Joins the Battle" as an example. The dance depicted filial piety to one's elders, and loyalty to the country. He thought that many of these traditional values have been lost in modern society.
I'll think over what the 5,000 years of divinely-inspired culture means
Mrs. Tang was reunited with her husband in Canada three months ago. The DPA show made her feel at home. She said that she understood the cohesion and charm of traditional Chinese culture, and saw that non-Chinese also enjoyed the show. Her husband and she felt very proud to be members of the Chinese civilizatoin.
Mrs. Tang was amazed by the brilliance and magnificent momentum of the show. She marveled at the Udumbara flower that blossoms only once every three thousand years, portrayed in the dance "The Udumbara's Bloom." She said that she had occasionally heard and read about it on TV and in newspapers, but did not know all the details about it. After listening to the hosts' explanation, and seeing the program, she found it amazing, and said she would find out more about it.
The exquisite and marvelous DPA show was very impressive to Mrs. Tang, who said that the show was innovative, and it was very creative to integrate the backdrops with the performance on the stage. The stories portrayed were easy to understand. She felt that even the audience members who did not know the language and who were from different cultural backgrounds should be able to understand.
Mrs. Tang continued by saying that since she had received her education in mainland China, she had limited knowledge of traditional Chinese culture and history, and had little access to the knowledge of traditional culture and beliefs.
She said, "Since my childhood, what I have learned from textbooks was rather materialistic, and did not have much information about these aspects [of traditional Chinese culture]. Because I did not have much knowledge about them, I was amazed after seeing the DPA show today. I'll be interested in learning more in this regard."
"I'll think over what the 5,000 years of divinely-inspired culture is, and what influence the divine has on our humanity," Mrs. Tang said.
DPA show provides a platform for cultural exchange
Mrs. Tang thought that the DPA show provides more channels for Westerners to learn about traditional Chinese culture. She said, "Many non-Chinese do not know or have limited exposure to our traditional Chinese culture. Their knowledge may be confined to a certain period of time or a certain stage."
Mr. Tang added, "I hope that the DPA will go to more countries to promote our traditional Chinese culture and traditional values, so that more people will understand what China really represents, and that is not as it is now ... In western countries, particularly, many people show great interest in Chinese culture, but they do not have appropriate access to it. I feel the DPA has done a great job."
Mrs. Tang affirmed once again, "I indeed feel proud to be a member of the Chinese civilization."
Mr. Tang and Mrs. Tang concluded by wishing all the performers a Happy New Year and hoped that everything goes smoothly with them. "It's one of the most traditional wishes in our Chinese culture," explained Mr. Tang.
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