Chinese and Western Audience Members in Toronto Discuss Their Feelings about the Chinese New Year Spectacular
[PureInishgt.org] According to a media release by the Epoch Times on January 22nd,
Toronto's New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) Chinese New Year
Spectacular came to a successful conclusion on the evening of January
20, 2007, at the Toronto Center for the Arts. It attracted about
6800 Western and Chinese audience members who appreciated the authentic
program of divinely imparted Chinese culture. During the
entertainment, the audience members were forthcoming with their
appraisals of it. Here is some of the feedback from the audience
when the final performance was finished. They commonly expressed
their love towards the intent of the program, the design of the
backdrop and the live symphony orchestra accompaniment.
It is a rarely-found program
Grace is an quality assurance analyst who immigrated to Toronto over
two years ago. After watching the performance, she expressed her
opinion that the Gala was very beautiful without any vulgar tastes and
dirty contents from modern society. She said, "I like the dance
"Snowy Mountains and White Lotus". It makes you feel like you're
living in a fairyland. I also like the dance "Rhythm of the
Drum," which displays the beauty of the masculine and feminine
principles in nature. This is a rare opportunity to watch such a
wonderful show in an overseas country. Even in China, it is very
hard to find a wonderful show like this."
Grace continued, "Nowadays, the entertainment programs in China look
flowery on the surface, but they lack rich and authentic intent." For
example, almost all of the short sketches are only concerned with how to
make money. It is a phenomenon of conduct in society.
However, NTDTV's show can lead people to think deeply, not only for
entertainment. For example, the Chinese tenor Guan Guimin sang
the song "Who Am I," about where we came from and where we will
go. I wonder how many people nowadays would think about that
question?
Chinese culture is full of philosophy and humanity
Gary Atamanyh from Fonthill said, "The set up of the evening program
showed a lot of talent. Chinese culture is comprised of many
philosophical and psychological theories. I appreciate the English
translation showing on the screen of the backdrop. They are very
professional and helped us understand about the cultural
intent behind this program more clearly. The hosts of the spectacular provided
an extremely lively dialogue."
The Catholic school teacher Natalie Scricca commented on the evening's
program as a peaceful one. She said, "This was my first time to see
such a magnificent program. Both the costumes and music are very
beautiful. It was very moving to see the flying beauty's dance, a
crowd of celestial maidens, who came back to the heavenly palace after
roaming in the human dimension. I closed my eyes, just feeling
like I was meditating in a fairyland, something like that, very
peaceful and relaxing. I should have brought my children to watch
the show. We will definitely come back next year."
Perfect stage design
Mr. Qiu Zhao Jin, the previous chief art editor of the Shandong DA Zhon
Daily Newspaper, expressed his appraisal of the design of the
backdrop. He said, "The background of the stage did not use the
single layer of picture. Instead, it used the modern computerized
three-dimensional techniques of cartoons to increase the sense of
reality and the third dimension in a vivid way, closely connected with
the plays on the stage. It helps the audience more easily understand what
the play wanted to express. Perfect structure, harmonious colors
and grand scenes."
Enjoying the live symphony orchestra accompaniment
Grace Guo, who graduated from the Faculty of Art of Shanghai Normal
University, commented that: "The Tianyin Symphony Orchestra's live
accompaniment at the show makes a pleasant change of atmosphere.
The tones are full and harmonious. It is the highest realm of
pleasure. It is appealing." She said that live symphony
orchestra accompaniment originated from the traditional opera or
ballet. But the modern people use the electronic recorder to
replace it to save money."
Grace said, "The Tianyin Symphony Orchestra added erhu and bamboo
flute, which are traditional Chinese musical instruments, to the
western music. It is an ingenious combination of Western and
Chinese musical instruments. It displays the national art of the
divinely imparted Chinese culture. This is a difficult level of
instrumental performance. But the conductor skillfully controlled
the conducting with balance. I can tell that the orchestra is a
harmonious team as a whole."
"I really appreciate their team spirit"
Mr. Huang Chun Fa, the deputy Chairman of the Chinese Association of An
Province said, "The show is very wonderful, very representative.
It represented the spirit of all the children of the Yellow
Emperor. It strongly shows the Chinese traditional culture.
I like every detail of the program and every story is touching."
"I heard that many Falun gong practitioners have participated in
producing the gala. I do really appreciate their team work as a
whole. It is not wise to crack down Falun Gong in China.
Falun Gong is only a spiritual belief. A belief should not be
suppressed."
Mr. Huang immigrated from Hong Kong to Canada 19 years ago. He
said, "It was my first time to watch the gala. It is
wonderful. My wife, myself and our siblings and their families
have come to watch. The theme of the gala is outstanding.
It expresses that people must be kind. It is very good to express
the theme through traditional Chinese stories."
A home garden to purify and clean soul and mind
Mr. Bian immigrated from Mainland China to Toronto more than five years
ago. He brought his three-year old son to the gala. He
said, "My son is still young, but I know he can understand the
show. I feel my mind is pure and clean after watching. The
world has become disordered, with such things as war, unfairness,
jungle justice and so on. But the gala will make you feel you are
in a peaceful world, and in a home garden which can purify and clean
your soul and mind."
Gods are guarding human beings
Lily Zheng is a new migrant from Beijing. She wrote that she
liked the dance, "A Dunhuang Dream," very much. She said, "The
Dunhuang Caves and those Buddha sculptures are passed down from past
dynasties and generations. It is a cultural heritage that people
are proud of. It also proves that China was a land of semi divine
culture in history. It expresses to people that the gods will
display the truth to human beings when they really believe in them."
She said, "In the dance 'A Dunhuang Dream,' the ancient stone
sculptor was able to carve so many absolutely lifelike Buddha
sculptures, which are full of dignity. This is because that the
sculptor's sincere faith had touched the gods, who inspire the sculptor
to carve statues of gods and buddhas. In fact, the gods are
guarding the human beings."
A belief can make people safe
Mrs Zhu from Taiwan is a Christian. She wrote that all of the
performances in the gala were very good. She said, "The dance
'The Vows of Old' tells of compassionate divine beings from heaven
vowing to descend to the human world to save people. I am
touched, I like it very much. The Buddhist culture in Chinese
history made the gala richer and more splendid. The purpose of
the songs singing about truthfulness, compassion and forbearance is to
improve and purify people's minds and souls. The gala will raise
human nature to a higher level. Belief can make you safe."
Feeling peaceful and warm
Miss Zhou Li Feng, who came from southern China to Toronto, said that
the gala has superb shows, including the dance "Loyalty of Yuefei",
which conveys the concepts of patriotism and noble commitment, the
dance "Hua Mulan," which tells of a daughter who replaced her father in
joining the army. There are other vivid ethnic dances like the
Mongolian "Bowls Dance" and the Tibetan "Snowy Mountain and White
Lotus." The shows also showcase the Buddhist arts in the dance "A
Dunhuang Dream," teaching people to worship. Other shows express
the actual topics of those Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted in
China.
She said, "Although the CCP has been blackening the name of Falun Gong,
I came here to watch the show today and I can feel myself in a [place
of] boundless peace and warmth. A very good-natured atmosphere
that makes me feel relaxed."
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/1/25/41981.html