KITCHENER-WATERLOO, Canada—The Divine Performing Arts 2009 World Tour wowed audience members at its first-ever show in Kitchener-Waterloo at the Centre in the Square Theatre Tuesday night.
"The colors are just so vibrant. It’s really beautiful," said civil/environmental engineer and city councillor Ms. Freeman who attended the full-house performance. Ms. Freeman has also sat on the board of directors for multiple not-for-profit organizations.
"I liked the dance with the skirts, the colorful skirts," she said, referring to Dance of the Yi, one of her favourite performances, in which the female dancers emulate the passionate dance of the southern China Yi ethnicity.
"They’re amazing. I find it so relaxing to watch. It was great."
Ms. Freeman also complimented the music accompanying the performance, saying it was "beautifully written."
The elected representative said she did not know much about traditional Chinese culture before coming to the show.
"I have been learning quite a bit. I have been learning about the history of dance and history of the Chinese culture and some of their spiritual choices and that kind of thing," she explained.
One of the most popular stories in China's rich 5,000 year history is "Journey to the West." In a dance called The Monkey King Triumphs, Divine Performing Arts brings a scene from this famous 16th century novel to the stage.
In the tale, the protagonist, a Buddhist monk, is travelling to India in search of Buddhist scriptures. He is joined by an ogre, a pig, and a miraculous monkey he met en route. When a mountain detour leaves the monk alone and unguarded, he is set upon by a demon that assumes the guise of a temptress.
The story reflects the melding of the magical, moral, and mundane so common in the traditional Chinese novel.
"I didn’t know the legend of the Monkey King at all," said Freeman, adding that she enjoyed it.
Freeman was joined by her niece, who also praised the show.
"The dancing was fantastic. I liked the flowers unfolding—the flower that only blooms once in 3000 years. It was a very beautiful dance."
The Udumbara's Bloom is a dance inspired by recent sightings of the rare flower. Rich with spiritual import, the flower's blooming is said to herald the coming of a great sage or enlightened being.
"I think I have learned a lot and am happy that it was brought here today," she said.
Divine Performing Arts will play twice more in Kitchener-Waterloo before moving on to Toronto for a six-day run at the John Bassett Theatre. The full-house in attendance on Tuesday gave the performance a standing ovation.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts.
For more information, please see DivinePerformingArts.org