NEW YORK—Peruvian-American Renu Norina has celebrated the Chinese New Year with Divine Performing Arts before. Friday night, he explained what brought him back a second time to take in the company's Chinese New Year Splendor, now playing at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
"I love the erhu," said Norina. "Because when I was a little child, I knew someone who played Chinese music – all those kinds of instruments are beautiful."
That person, Norina said, was his stepfather, who died when he was young.
"I feel a little sad, because when I was a little child my stepfather, and my stepbrother, we lived together, and that's how we heard some Chinese music," he said. "But when my stepfather died, that's it."
Accompanying Renu Norina was his daughter, Diana Norina, an assistant manager at a New York jewellery store. She also joined him the last time he came to the show.
"Oh my god, it was really amazing – so beautiful," Diana said. "I mean New York is the melting pot of the world, right, so what better way to experience Chinese culture?"
Diana, who was wearing a Chinese pagoda amulet, said she enjoyed how the content of the show was authentic and based on careful research – from the backdrops and scenes to the costumes and props.
"That's what I like about it; it's meaningful," she said.
The contrast of ancient and modern in the show helped Diana gain appreciation for traditional values.
"I actually got to really appreciate what it is to have honour, that tradition in your life," she said. "The kids nowadays are all into punk music, and [they're] disrespectful. It's good to come back to your roots," adding that she also has some Chinese blood through her mother.
Diana found the values depicted in one performance particularly moving.
"Actually, what I thought was really nice [was the] Falun Gong awareness," she said. "It's something you hear about, but it's nice that this actually – it doesn't push to much, but – it makes you aware, and it actually makes you feel phenomenal. So there's a cause out there, which is nice."
Her overall impressions of the show?
"I loved it; I thought it was perfectly spaced out . . . There was a decent amount of singing but a decent amount of dance, and the historic part was absolutely beautiful," she said.
"It was better here than last time."
The Chinese New Year Splendor continues in New York through Saturday, Feb. 9. For other shows in the Divine Performing Arts world tour, please visit: http://www.divineperformingarts.com/
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Chinese New Year Splendor.
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