INDIANAPOLIS—On Saturday, Jan. 31, an appreciative audience greeted the debut of Divine Performing Arts in Indianapolis at Murat Centre on a cold afternoon.
"What struck me from the very first number is the ability–the motion of dance that resolves at the very end of the piece into this sculpture—this [is a] picture in motion!" said Ms. Noble enthusiastically, manager of a music library in Greencastle. "I don't know of other dance forms that do that in the way that Chinese dance does it. It's so beautiful!"
Classical Chinese dance is an altogether unique dance heritage. Originally passed down among common people, and later adapted by members of the imperial court, it became an integral part of traditional Chinese culture.
As the music manager of a music library, Ms. Noble is sensitive and appreciative of music. "The music is gorgeous," she added. "I'd love to know if I could buy a CD. I'd love to have a recording of it—the authentic instruments and the live orchestra is so different than performing to a recording. It makes it so much better."
"And the two singers were absolutely marvelous!" said Ms. Noble. "The music and the dance—Oh, it's absolutely beautiful!"
"I've probably learned [more] about Classical Chinese dance in the last hour than I had in my entire life!" exclaimed Ms. Noble. "Very instructive."
She went on to share that she had some familiarity with Chinese culture before coming to the show.
"Some of the stories were at least a little familiar to me—I studied Chinese language at one point, so I had heard some of them. These performances conveyed the stories remarkably well. The backdrop, the movable video works to fill in the blanks if you are unfamiliar with the stories. I do feel as though I am understanding the stories and enjoying them," she added.
"The story about the father is very moving," Mr. Noble said, referring to the Divine Performing Arts performance titled, Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution. In it the father is tragically torn from his loving family because he practices Falun Gong, which is a meditation practice that originated in China. For many Falun Gong practitioners in China, this is a harsh reality.
Please see DivinePerformingArts.org for more information.