SAN DIEGO—After three days and four shows, the performers in Divine Performing Arts's 2008 Chinese New Year Spectacular finished their last show in San Diego on Jan. 17 at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.
Having brought to residents and visitors a gift of rare beauty, audience members left the theatre with broadened hearts and a deeper understanding of Classical Chinese Dance and culture.
"It was fantastic. The way it was coordinated really kept the audience captivated. There must have been a lot of harmony and coordination, and a deep trust with each other. It can also be seen that they were very attentive to detail," said San Diego resident Taeko Uchino, a graduate professor of Psychology.
With dazzling costumes and elaborate digital backdrops, complimented by the sounds of both ancient Chinese and European instruments; the dancers gracefully portrayed the demeanor of an ancient people and the values that they upheld.
"It was about culture and tradition. It was about peace, love, and respect," said Jose Luis, a professional dancer living in San Diego. "It takes a lot of technique. They have good training; that I can tell."
Combining musical styles of both the East and the West, tenors and sopranos sang songs of morality and virtue. Spoken in Chinese, the lyrics, written like poems of a time forgotten, received roaring applause from audience members.
"The beautiful lyrics of the songs that were sung, that was just gorgeous," said Diana Telles, a massage therapist from Carlsbad.
"That really captivated it all. The lyrics to those songs brought it all together, and it was how I was feeling. It was a celebration of dance. I loved it." Telles and her mother, Cecilia Telles came to see the show for a shared birthday gift to each other.
Among the performances was a colorful array of dances ranging from the slow and gentle movements of the "Ladies of the Manchu Court" to the energetic dances of the Mongolian plains, and into stories depicting bravery and kindness, told through the use of classical Chinese dance.
"They seemed like flowers in a field. It was very elegant, and so beautiful. It brought a lot of awareness to the culture," said Telles, "With the cultural awareness, their amazing acrobatics and flexibility, and of course all the colors; It's beautiful, just beautiful."
Despite having received heavy interference from the Chinese Consulates, through techniques of spreading rumors and creating groundless labels so as to urge mayors and government officials to not offer support or see the show; many officials chose to ignore the CCP's behavior. Various Council members, mayors, members of Congress, and Senators issued proclamations in support of the show.
Part of a proclamation issued by Congressman Bob Filner on Jan. 14, 2008, read, "Whereas, this Spectacular reawakens the Chinese community to the majestic splendor and beauty of their 5,000-year-old culture as the greatest names from the Divine Performing Arts of New York come together for an inspirational and exciting show of epic proportions…"
The proclamation continues, "Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Bob Filner, California's Border Congressman, do hereby proclaim January 15-17, 2008 as the "Chinese New Year Spectacular Days" and encourage my constituents in the 51st Congressional District to recognize and honor the outstanding and invaluable achievements and contributions on the New Tang Dynasty television and the Chinese community."
Although this year's show in San Diego has now come to an end, the work of the performers is still far from over. On this year's 2008 tour, the Chinese New Year Spectacular will grace the stages of over 65 cities worldwide, with over 200 performances. Set as the next stop will be Los Angeles' new Nokia Theatre, followed by the Orpheum Theatre of San Francisco.
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