CHICAGO—The 2009 Chicago performance of the Divine Performing Arts culminated in a climatic conclusion on Sunday Dec. 28 with audience members exuberantly praising the show’s unique beauty.
Mr. J. Abreu, a physician in Chicago, loved every aspect of the show.
“I love it; I think it is the greatest spectacle; I love the choreography, and the music is gorgeous.”
Having seen classical Chinese dance in the past, Mr. Abreu said he particularly liked the Tibetan dance (Dance of the Snow-Capped Mountain). “It is very complete, the dance movements, the folklore, the music, actually everything is together there.”
For some audience members, like Ms. Mikos from Oswego, Illinois who works as an administrative assistant, seeing the DPA show seems to have become an annual occasion.
“I came to the show last year and loved it. This is my second year seeing the show … It is just beautiful.”
Her friend, Ms. C. Fligg, a Chicago nurse, said she was very pleased with the explanations from the two hosts about the traditions and stories behind the dances.
She was referring to the entertaining and informative commentaries given by the show’s two bilingual hosts, one American, one Chinese. Their lively style and ability to switch between English and Chinese added a special touch to the performance, according to many audience members.
Ms. C. Collins, a phlebotomist who used to live in Taiwan and speaks Mandarin, praised the show not only for its beauty but also for its educational values.
“I think everyone in the country should see this type of program; it’s very educational … to get to know another culture much better. Because we all live in this universe together, so we should all live in peace and harmony. The only way we do that is embrace each other’s culture and learn about each other, and there will be a better understanding.”
Asked if there was any aspect of the show that struck her most, Ms. Collins singled out the Falun Gong theme without hesitation.
“The Falun Gong performance was very inspirational, I think, because that’s right now a problem.”
“I just hope that in the future things can change with the ideology [there in China].
For more information please visit DivinePerformingArts.org
