VIENNA, Austria—The Divine Performing Arts arrived in Vienna to perform the Chinese Spectacular , a showcase of classical Chinese dance inspired from China’s 5,000 year history. On Thursday night, The Epoch Times caught theatergoers coming out of the opening night show at Wiener Stadthalle with smiles galore, overflowing with compliments about the show and its cast.
Gerit Schwenk is a ballerina with the State Opera House, the Vienna Staatsoper, a premier ballet company in Austria.
“What I'm most impressed with is the precision,” she said. “I must admit that I have rarely seen something like this. The coordination of the lines were always correct and the movements were identical. I admired that tremendously, because I know how much work it took to get to that point.”
With a lifetime of dance experience behind her, Schwenk’s interest was piqued by classical Chinese dance. “The footwork is totally different from what we are used to in classical ballet. But I must admit it is quite interesting, how the tradition is kept alive, and the gait and bearing that represents tradition.”
Schwenk said she admired the diversity presented in the Spectacular . “I was impressed that the drums were beaten with fans and there were no props. And another thing, I very much liked the costumes. The differences were especially beautiful, the rich colors and the different costumes. I was very impressed.”
Regarding the present-day stories told alongside ancient legends, she said “something like this does not happen in classical pieces. But in contemporary performances, one also gives attention to current issues/themes. I find this wonderful, and I think that it is also very important, because one can bring the youth or the younger generation toward accepting dance with contemporary themes, if they are addressed.”
For information about upcoming Divine Performing Arts shows, please visit:
www.DivinePerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Chinese Spectacular. For our complete coverage please visit:
http://en.epochtimes.com/features/dpa2008/
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