SARASOTA,Florida—Software sales manager Ms Mantel was trying describe the Divine Performing Arts 2009 World Tour presentation that opened at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota.
“It’s a feeling of movement, then still, and then movement, and then stillness. I think it aesthetically very beautiful.”
“There are a lot of the same movements in ballet, but a lot quicker, she said, there’s a sort of integration of movement and stillness that’s unique. I don’t see that in ballet.”
“Well, first there were a lot more dancers on the stage at the same time with more of a synchronized approach. There’s more with the hands, more acting out something—not caricature, but really acting out something through [using] the body and through dance. Also the walks were different. But the acrobatics, especially the men ... I really loved the show. We’ve never seen Chinese classical dance before, so this was a new experience.”
Ms. Mantel said, “It’s wonderful to have an opportunity to see through dance the cultural spirit of China that we don’t see. I think it gets stifled, so it’s a real privilege.”
“It’s a feeling of movement, then still, and then movement, and then stillness. I think it aesthetically very beautiful.”
“There are a lot of the same movements in ballet, but a lot quicker, she said, there’s a sort of integration of movement and stillness that’s unique. I don’t see that in ballet.”
“Well, first there were a lot more dancers on the stage at the same time with more of a synchronized approach. There’s more with the hands, more acting out something—not caricature, but really acting out something through [using] the body and through dance. Also the walks were different. But the acrobatics, especially the men ... I really loved the show. We’ve never seen Chinese classical dance before, so this was a new experience.”
Ms. Mantel said, “It’s wonderful to have an opportunity to see through dance the cultural spirit of China that we don’t see. I think it gets stifled, so it’s a real privilege.”
She said she was shocked when she first read the program because it talked of religion and spirituality. “I thought this can’t be from China, because they don’t allow that to be discussed—that was really surprising to me.”
“These dance pieces … It was beautiful. That was really incredible so see, the synchronization and how they acted out and could create these images through dancing, with the flowers and everything. The other thing we loved was the screen in the background, with the deities coming down and going back and forth. That is so unique! I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts 2009 World Tour.
For more information please visit DivineArts.org
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