ST. LOUIS—An enthusiastic audience left Touhill Performing Arts Center Saturday evening after watching Divine Performing Arts (DPA)’s Chinese New Year Spectacular’s closing performance.
“It was beautiful!” exclaimed Mrs. Russell, a music promoter, after seeing the show.
She said that she was impressed by the entire show but particularly enjoyed the dance titled, The Udumbara’s Bloom.
Ancient legends say that the unfolding of this rare flower foretells the coming of a great enlightened being. The bejeweled dancers in this piece take inspiration from that legend in a sumptuous display of reverent beauty.
Mrs. Russel went on to praise Divine Performing Arts live orchestra for its blend of classical Western and traditional Chinese instruments.
“I really liked it. It was beautiful.”
She gave the entire show a big thumbs up.
Mr. Frazier, the president of a corporation based in St. Louis, agreed.
“This show is wonderful! It really is. From the beginning to the end there is a lot of talent from the singers to the dancers. It was really great!”
He had seen many Asian shows on business trips to mainland China but never anything like this.
“I recognized a lot of tradition in the show,” he said. His favorite dance was The Monkey King Triumphs.
In this performance, one of Chinese history’s most beloved characters, the monkey king, travels west to help a monk retrieve sacred scriptures. Along the way they beset by a demon in the guise of a temptress. The storyline reflects a melding of the magical, moral, and mundane so common in the classical Chinese novel the scene is taken from, Journey to the West.
“I would recommend the show to my Chinese friends, they would enjoy this. I will come back next year!” Mr. Frazier concluded.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Divine Performing Arts. For more information visit DivinePerformingArts.org
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