The Toronto debut of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese New Year Spectacular drew to a successive close on Friday evening at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
With its large-scale dance routines, combination of Chinese and western music and unique state-of-the art digital backdrops, it's not surprising that the audience had high praise for the show.
Shannon Devine, director of communications with the Canadian Auto Workers Union, called the show "wonderful" and described it as "a lovely exposition" and "very exciting demonstration" of Chinese culture.
She said she would encourage others to come and see the show, as it's not often that people will have the opportunity to see "such an interesting display."
"I think there was an underlying message that was coming through," she said. "The important part is always striving forward with good faith and peace."
She found the Mongolian Bowl dance "very pretty and very poetic," and the translation done by the bilingual Chinese and English host and hostess very helpful.
Noting that the Chinese culture is a unique and special culture, she said she looked forward to learning more.
"Shows like this are a wonderful opportunity. I hope that through these types of expositions, more people in Canada will come to understand Chinese culture."
Eva Gorschitz-McNeil came with her mother Elizabeth Gorshitz. They are of Hungarian descent. Gorschitz-McNeil, who is a nurse, praised the dancers for being "magnificent and very skilled."
"It's beautiful, it's just beautiful," she said of the show.
She added that she loved the colourful costumes and, like Devine, the Mongolian Bowl dance was one of her favourite segments. She said some of the performances "showed great courage and were very heart-tugging."
Gorschitz-McNeil and her mother both enjoyed the Tibetan and Mongolian performances, which have roots from thousands of years ago.
Mike Restivo, a computer consultant, attended the Spectacular with his girlfriend.
"I enjoyed the dancing, but I was particularly moved by the scene where the lady was beaten," he said, referring to one of the performances which depicted the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners under the Chinese communist regime.
"She was welcomed into the company of the Arhats, the enlightened ones, not merely because she died, but because of her sacrifice. I thought that that was very moving," said Restivo.
Restivo was touched by the presentation of "simple joy and celebration of an ancient culture, and simple wisdom that a lot of people have forgotten in this high technology age and that calls for renewal and a purer life."
The importance of honouring and conserving one's history — this was a key message Restivo took away from the Spectacular.
"There's a celebration of the diversity of the people of the world, as symbolized in the great vastness of China and the different peoples. Their joy can be appreciated by all people because it's in the soul," said Restivo.
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