Spheres of candlelight, one after another
Sing a sad stirring melody
Of tragic heroism by those who lived
A life of spirit.
This was in the first verse of the song that accompanied "Candlelight Vigil", one of the performances in New Tang Dynasty Television's (NTDTV) Chinese New Year Spectacular, which has touched the hearts of Australian audiences.
"It was beautiful – it brought tears to my eyes," said Lyn Cowie from the NSW Central Coast.
When asked how she would explain "Candlelight Vigil" to someone she said: "Humanity and suffering, and people's eyes being opened to it…Beautiful, absolutely beautiful."
Sung in Chinese, with an English translation projected onto the back of the stage, the music accompanies dancers from the Divine Performing Arts as they express the meaning and the purpose behind candlelight vigils that are held around the world to support those suffering from persecution for their spiritual beliefs in China.
"The feeling [I got from watching "Candlelight Vigil"] was really calm, but it also reminds you of all those people who lost their lives," said Harrison Vaunen, a primary school student from the suburb of Miranda.
The dancers in the performance hold in each hand a candle in the shape of a lotus flower, which symbolises purity, overcoming hardship and gentle strength. Their movements also convey the same qualities and in that, their concern for the well-being of a young girl, played by 6-year-old Ting Ye.
Kylie Davenport, from Sydney, thought that Ting Ye's character offered hope amid great suffering. "The meaning behind it of the suffering of the people and the future of the little girl – you know the hope for the future."
Tony Detonnaso, a Salvation Army officer from Kingsgrove, spoke of "Candlelight Vigil" and said: "Being a Christian, I related to that and their searching for the truth. What truth is – that answer."
The Spectacular's Youngest Dancer
Since late February, 6-year old-Ting Ye has played this role during the Spectacular's world tour. During this time her mother, Yan Ping, said her daughter has not only enjoyed, but has matured and grown on tour. While having only the one part in the Spectacular, Ms Yan said her daughter has also been learning from her fellow dancers.
"She has been mimicking the other dancers," said Ms Yan. "She has been doing the 'Mongolian Bowl Dance', 'Herding on the Mongolian Plains'; she is even micking the singers' singing style."
From the US, Ting has been with the tour since traveling to Europe and Japan, and now Australia. Before that she had a role in a previous NTDTV production, the 2006 Global Gala in the US production, where she had a smaller part in the "When the Lion's Eyes Turn Red".
Ting Ye is part of Divine Performing Arts, which serves as the artistic force behind New Tang Dynasty Television's Holiday Wonders and Chinese New Year Spectacular shows each year. Its mission is to rediscover the essence of true, traditional culture and to bring arts to the world that celebrate human dignity and positive values. It thus produces and performs works that center on classical themes and divinely-inspired cultural traditions. The group's performances aim to provide an experience of consummate beauty and goodness.
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