OTTAWA—The Chinese New Year Spectacular graced the stage for a second night at Ottawa's National Arts Centre on Monday evening.
Scientist Dr. Ahmed Said and his wife Taj Ahmed were delighted with the Spectacular's portrayal of ancient Chinese culture and traditions.
"Beautiful, very spiritual, fantastic costumes, and scene settings," said Dr. Said. "I'm so glad that the original culture and heritage is preserved. We cannot lose heritage, or the classical."
Presented by the New York-based Divine Performing Arts, the Spectacular has become known for its revival of the true Chinese culture unblemished by elements of communism.
The couple said that of all the acts, they liked the drums the most. They also liked the "spiritual aspect" of some of the performances.
"We see more and more modern dances with nudity and too much vulgarity. But here there's all this artistic beauty in the dress and the costumes, as well as the beautiful music."
It is believed that ancient Chinese culture embodied pure compassion, pure truth, and pure beauty—values that are reflected in the Spectacular .
Hosted in English and Chinese, the show portrays ancient legends and fables from China's ancient dynasties as well as from modern times.
Dr. Said said he thought the show presented the authentic Chinese culture. "It's nice to see the ancient culture preserved."
After Ottawa, the Spectacular will play in Montreal and Toronto before continuing its global tour, which includes an 11-day run at New York's famous Radio City Music Hall.
The show will return to Canada in the spring to play in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. By the end of its tour, Divine Performing Arts will have performed before a total live audience of over 650,000 in 65 cities across the globe.
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