LITTLE ROCK, Ark.—Virginia Hillman, Mayor of Sherwood, Arkansas, a place that Wall Street ranked it among the ten best places to live in the U.S., proclaimed February 9, 2009 as a day to honor the Divine Performing Arts (DPA).
Citizens of all kinds came to the show. Sisters came to celebrate one of their birthdays. A former soldier brought his granddaughter. Cops and firefighters, politicians and scholars, publishers, immigrants from Taiwan, the Philippines, and China all came to Robinson Center on a Monday night where the audience gave the performers a standing ovation, and applause broke out frequently after delighted viewers acknowledged displays of the dancer’s skill.
Little Rock, population over 180,000, is the capital of Arkansas, but three smaller cities prosper near its borders. They make the greater Little Rock area more urban than its population suggests. Indeed, the greater metropolitan area has more than one million people. All three of the bordering city’s mayors supported Divine Performing Arts.
Mayor Hillman, who also teaches at a university, commended the company for “showcasing genuine Chinese culture with pure truthfulness, pure compassion and pure beauty.”
North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays welcomed the show and called it “a wonderful opportunity for Chinese culture to be shared with the people of Arkansas.” His town sits on the Arkansas River and has a riverside district. A city youth council allows young people to be nurtured and mentored while giving service to non-profits in the town. Young persons are chosen for the council based on their reliability and kindness.
Jacksonville Mayor Tommy Swain focused on the power of diversity. He wrote, “The United States of America boasts diversity unlike any other country in the world. Because we have so many nationalities, there are many celebrations representing customs brought from their homeland ... The City of Jacksonville is pleased to have the Divine Performing Arts celebrating this holiday filled with traditions and marking a new beginning.”
Please see DivinePerformingArts.org for more information.
