For many Westerners, their closest encounter with Chinese culture might be a trip to the local China Town, an occasional outing for Yum Cha or seeing the red lanterns displayed around the city in early autumn, when Chinese New Year festivities are in season.
However, appreciation of Chinese culture comes not from these commercialised and unripe fruits of tradition, but rather from its ancient roots.
Mark Abbott – one of the three Australian dancers and the only Westerner in the 2007 troupe of NTDTV's Chinese New Year Spectacular − explains that to truly understand China one must experience its centuries-long history and traditions.
"As an Australian, our [European] history goes back 200 years, but on this tour I've come to know more and more about the amazing 5000 years of Chinese civilisation," he said in an interview, following last week's sell-out show in Brisbane.
The Spectacular is the world's largest production to showcase the authentic culture of the "old" China (as opposed to the modernised China). Through recreating some of the most profound legends or historical snapshots, it revives the splendour of a civilisation that has never been seen in modern times.
From the intricate details of the costumes to the architectural design in the high-tech backdrops, every aspect of the Spectacular keeps true to the historical periods it depicts.
"We couldn't have a Ming Dynasty window or a Qing Dynasty door in a Tang building. Some expert in the audience would probably catch it!" said Jim Chu, technical set design expert for New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), in an interview last month during the Spectacular's showcase in New York.
NTDTV is a non-profit Chinese television network based in Manhattan that has 24-hour news coverage and is dedicated to presenting classical performing arts.
The Spectacular is also about portraying the divine nature of Chinese civilisation and its values, which have been cultivated based on the Buddhist and Taoist traditions.
In one of the acts, Mark plays a soldier in the army of Yue Fei – the most famous general in Chinese history during the Song Dynasty (960−1279AD) – who defended the country from foreign invaders.
The dance is based on principles of virtue and loyalty, says Mark. "That is something that comes wherever you go and at the end of the dance that is something you want to leave behind," for the audience to absorb, continued the 26-year-old, who felt deeply privileged to be part of this "unique" production. For his mother Cheryl, seeing her son on stage in New York and back on home turf was overwhelming. "I am proud as punch," she said after the Brisbane night show last week.
Mark also notes that the Spectacular has special meaning because there are very few things in the world that demonstrate true Chinese traditions.
"After the Cultural Revolution during the '60s and '70s, traditional culture was completely destroyed. What is left is tainted by political culture," notes Mark, referring to the influence of the communist ideology that has been prevalent in the mainland for the last nearly 60 years.
For Chinese, the Spectacular is an opportunity to return to their roots, while for Westerners it is a rare chance to immerse themselves in a world that beams with purity and goodness.
While Australian audiences in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Canberra have reacted in astonishment at the refined beauty of the show, Sydney and Melbourne are yet to get their taste of the Spectacular. An error occurred on the server when processing the URL. Please contact the system administrator.