Beauty, spectacular, wonder, majesty, awe; some of the words used to describe the experience of the show presented by the Divine Performing Arts group which played in Auckland on April 5.
As the name implies, the Divine Performing Arts is a divinely inspired performance arts troupe, drawing inspiration from China's rich 5000 year history which from era to era, dynasty to dynasty, was traditionally believed to be a divine designation.
Each leader of China was, in traditional Chinese belief, appointed to their positions by the heavens. The leaders, or emperors, were selected due to their sense of righteousness, respect, and sense of duty, ideals they and their descendants sought to promote among the Chinese people during their time as China's leaders.
Their respective dynasties saw a society cultured by their conduct and values. Each performance of the Divine Performing Arts displays the culture of various ancient Chinese dynasties or the traditional culture of different regions around China.
They reflect the beauty and value promoted during ancient times, thus promoting a sense of traditional morality as guided by a heavenly standard, believed to bring about good fortune and harmony by the people of ancient China.
"We try to bring people the real pureness, the brightness, and what is really righteous and true," says Elly Shu, one of the Divine Performing Arts lead dancers and choreographers.
"Many people, when they see this show, they really cheer up. They are very touched in their hearts. They cannot say the reason, but they are touched because it's pure."
"In China, we have lots of nationalities. (The performances of) 'Returning to a Righteous Place' and 'Creation' are a kind of classical Chinese dance. We also have a Tibetan dance, a Manchu dance, we have a Mongolian dance; we also believe they (these cultures) have a long, long history and Gods created those cultures."
Elements stemming from ancient beliefs and traditional Chinese values such as loyalty, honour, honesty, kindness and patience carry through in many of the acts.
In the dance 'The Loyalty of Yue Fei' values of honour, dedication, loyalty and filial piety, or respect for one's parents are shown to make the character of Yue Fei a great man and a great warrior.
Similar values are incorporated into the telling of Mulan's story, a Chinese maiden who must take her ailing Father's place in battle, for which the emperor later honours her.
"This show has traditional Chinese values in it, like Yue Fei and Mulan; this is to show that beings should respect their elders and have selflessness to give service to their country." Ms Shu says about retelling of the legends.
Singers Min Jiang, Jiansheng Yang and Guan Guimin, tell stories of bravery in the face of adversity, not giving in to pressure from wicked forces, and of origins that trace back to the heavens.
The dances promulgate proper etiquette and virtuous demeanour. Performances such as 'Candlelight Vigil' and 'Returning to a Rightful Place' honour those who do not bow to wickedness whatever the cost may be. In ancient Chinese belief, the Gods smiled upon such morals.
"The performers practice the righteous things; truth, compassion, and forbearance, and carry very, very strong positive energy. So when they do a performance, the pureness, the pure energy can spread out and touch the audience," said Ms Shu.
The show carries the strong spiritual culture of ancient China, often depicting grand scenes in the heavens involving Buddhas, Daos, Gods, Angels and Bodhisattvas (goddesses).
The performances pay tribute to belief in the heavens and honouring the ways of life the heavens passed down to humankind.
"For us, we are open to spiritual belief, because this righteous spiritual belief can keep up human beings moral standard and they won't go corrupt," said Ms Shu.
"In the past, in every dynasty, most people respected and practiced Taoism or Buddhism, all the people respected Taoists and Buddhists. They believe you do good things and good things come back to them, you do bad things and bad things come to them," she added.
"We respect all righteous teachings in Chinese history."
The show appeals to the audience on several levels. There is the display of beauty; beautiful dancing girls careening with flowing, harmonious movements which has a type of soothing effect on the observer; dynamic dance moves, elements of kung-fu and classic Chinese dance showcase the skill of the artists, while the costumes and backdrops dazzle with such colour and radiance perhaps not seen since ancient times.
Beyond the surface, the stories inspire and enlighten us to traditional heavenly values, touching the audience on a deeper level; audience members from around the world have stated after the show they are left feeling "refreshed" and "in awe."
"We want to show the people, to (have them) recall, to remember all these righteous thoughts and have them keep righteous minds and hearts," says Ms Shu. "We show pure music and pure dance to the world."
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