West Coast NTDTV New Year Gala a Cultural Banquet

Sparkling firecrackers, dancing Chinese lions and dragons, thunderous drums, and an irrepressible white dragon opened the NTDTV Chinese New Year Global Gala, ushering in the Year of the Dog. The 17 performances, with colorful costumes, graceful dancing, and singers, brought to life a sumptuous cultural feast highlighting traditional Chinese culture, as well as the Western arts. The beautiful projected images in the background and artists from all over the world helped unfold the myths and legends in China's 5,000 year history.

After successful performances in Los Angeles and San Diego on the West Coast, the much anticipated NTDTV Chinese New Year Global Gala came to the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, California on Feb. 12, the day of the Lantern Festival according to the Chinese lunar calendar. More than 2,000 people enjoyed the show.

Emmy Award winner and ABC-7 anchor Erik Rosales, who was born in the Year of Dog, joined three others to host the gala. The hosts spoke both Chinese and English, helping the audience to understand the transition of scenes as well as the inner meanings of each performance.

"This is the best show I've ever been to," said Winnie, sales manager of a Peninsula company who frequently attends shows and functions in the Bay Area. "I haven't seen such authentic Chinese decorations, drums, and dance for years," he said. "I liked the Plum Blossom dance in particular. The plum blossom braves snow and frost to flower in the cold winter, bringing hope and vitality to the world. It resembles the unrelenting spirit of mankind." He also liked the beautiful projected images in the background and the synchronization of the images and the dances.

Palo Alto resident Louse Soohoo, who is 88 years old, came with daughter Lisa and a grandson. She enjoyed Guimin Guan's tenor solo and virtuoso Reuibin Chen's piano solo. She also loved 14-year-old violinist Eunice Kim and her staggering performance of the Carmen Fantasy. Her daughter Lisa was worried that her American-born son would not understand the show, but was pleasantly surprised when he said he understood the meanings of the lotus flower and other traditional Chinese symbols.

Local performer Jing Ru from Fremont just turned 15 years old. She performed in the children's dance "Happy Little Girls." 10 mischievous little girls holding traditional Chinese red feather fans danced jubilantly on the stage and won warm applause from the audience. She was panting when getting off the stage, but felt relieved. She practiced one and a half years for the show.

Also included in the performance were acts from Western culture, with previously mentioned violin prodigy Eunice Kim, as well as two ballet dancers, Gillian Murphy and Gennadi Saveliev, both with the American Ballet Theatre. Saveliev's superhuman airborne twists and turns drew booming applause from the audience throughout his performance.

"Ironically, I found the true Chinese arts here in the Bay Area," said Mrs. Xu, a retired Oakland resident who emigrated from China six years ago. "Chinese culture in mainland China has been mostly lost," she said. "Temples, Buddha statues, and places originally intended for worship are now turned into tourist sites in order to make money. People have forgotten the inner meanings of our culture." She liked the dance "Udumbara Flower Blossom," a dance rendition of how the blossoming of the Udumbara flowers has brought inspiration to people's lives. According to Buddhist scriptures, the Udumbara flower blossoms every 3000 years and only at a time when a saint returns.

The Gala's next stop is Washington DC. For detailed schedules, please visit www.gala.ntdtv.com .