ROCHESTER, N.Y.—As a martial arts instructor who has trained for 26 years, Mr. Baddeley was highly impressed by the dancers of the Divine Performing Arts (DPA) 2009 World Tour in Rochester on Saturday afternoon.
“I like the dancers a lot—a lot of discipline and beautiful movements, and it’s truly a pleasure to watch people who have practiced so long to perfect their form and their art. It really is a beautiful experience,” he said.
Mr. Baddeley is a professor at a local post-secondary educational institute who teaches martial arts and stress management. He has taught a style of martial arts called Northern Shaolin Kung Fu Wushu for 15 years.
Beyond the beauty and discipline, Mr. Baddeley said he appreciated the stories behind the dances.
The dance he liked the most was Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution, the story of a young father who is persecuted for practicing Falun Dafa, a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline. The wondrous scenes that unfold speak to the ancient Chinese belief that those who are good will ultimately be rewarded by heaven.
“The happy ending, the message of hope … I think everybody needs [this message] right now, so that was a very, very nice story. The dance just translated and just came across so easily to understand that.”
Mr. Baddeley also praised the “absolutely beautiful” costumes with their “stunning colors,” as well as the digital backdrops custom designed to match the costumes, story line, lighting, and choreography of each dance.
He enjoyed Welcoming Spring, a colorful fan dance that brings to life the magnificent new blossoms of spring.
It was “absolutely amazing to watch, not only the dance on the stage, but also the backdrop performs and changes, and the flowers bloom.”
He said he was glad DPA came to Rochester.
“It’s always nice to see an event like this come through, especially with such a big culture in Rochester. It’s really, really a pleasure to see such a diverse show, you can really get a taste of [ancient] China,” said Mr. Baddeley.
For more information, please visit www.divineperformingarts.org
