Walking out of Toronto’s John Bassett Theatre Friday night, Chen Wenbin, founder of Toronto’s Norman Dance Company, said he “loved” the Divine Performing Arts Mid-Autumn Spectacular performance.
“The show presented a rich flavor of classic Chinese dancing, which I really enjoyed,” said Chen, a dancing artist for over 30 years and a former lead dancer in Hong Kong.
Chen said he also loved the ethnic dances in the show, of which the Chopstick Zest, a Mongolian style group dance, was his favorite.
“I’m so happy to see such a large-scale Chinese dancing company making success in North America,” Chen said joyfully.
Ms. Zhu, a Chinese ethnic dancer from Shanghai, joined Chen in admiring the show.
Unlike Chen, who watched the show for the first time, Zhu has been watching the show for years, and awed at the skills of the dancers.
“Most of the dancers grew up outside China,” Zhu said, adding that she finds it amazing at how they can perform such “authentic Chinese classic dance.”
Zhu said she bought a telescope before coming to the show so she could see the pure and beautiful smiles of the dancers. At the episode about China’s national hero Yue Fei, Zhu was moved to tears by the characters’ courage and loyalty, which was “thoroughly presented” by the dancers, she said.
Zhu and her husband eagerly poured out their rapture at each of the episodes. “The dancers are so talented,” they said. “We are now their faithful fans.” They said next year they would definitely come back and bring more friends.
Read the original article in Chinese.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of China’s most ancient and cherished holidays. The Spectacular expresses Chinese classical dance and showcases authentic traditional Chinese culture. Through background scenery, costumes, and choreography, the Spectacular expresses truthfulness, compassion, and pure beauty. China’s history comes to life in this gorgeous performance that is entertaining, inspiring, and uplifting. The content of all programs is presented in both Chinese and English. For more info, visit DivineShows.com/Toronto .
