Rosie Lamoureux was thrilled to hear that she had won local radio station KISS FM's draw for tickets to the Chinese New Year Spectacular .
In the Canadian debut of its 2008 world tour, the Spectacular played to a full house at Ottawa's National Arts Centre (NAC) on Sunday evening.
Lamoureux, who works in a law office, had entered the contest online. The prize included a limousine ride for the winner and three friends and dinner at the NAC's Le Café restaurant, all of which was topped off by the Chinese New Year Spectacular .
"Very, very impressive" Lamoureux said of the show. "The colours, the dancing, the scenes behind the dancers. Every dance had a message behind it that was very enlightening; it was very nice."
When Rosie, her husband, and another couple arrived at the NAC they were treated like celebrities as reporters started taking pictures and asking questions.
Performed since 2004 by the New York-based Divine Performing Arts Company, the Spectacular has been reclaiming China's long-forgotten culture and traditions by staging a series of unique performances around the world — performances that are proving to be a big hit with audiences.
The Spectacular has become known for its large-scale dances and stunning costumes reflecting the era of various ancient Chinese dynasties.
Lamoureux had seen parts of last year's show on the radio station's website and found it intriguing. She and her husband both like to experience other cultures.
"The scene that stands out most in my mind is the prison scene where the women were in prison for the faith that they wanted to follow," said Lamoureux.
"I sensed that they weren't just dancing for the sake of dancing they had a message to put out to everybody and it was very impressive."
This year, the Spectacular will stage 220 shows in 65 cities, reaching a total live audience of about 650,000. The world-class tour will span five continents — Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America.
The show will return to Canada in the spring to play in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.
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