After watching the 2008 Chinese New Year Spectacular , choreographer Kory Tylor said, "Did I enjoy it? There are no words to say how much I enjoyed it. It really was fabulous, fantastic, absolutely delightful."
Tylor owns the Dance Arts Centre in Toronto. She has worked as a ballerina, singer, and choreographer and has taught dance for 51 years.
"I've never seen a dance company like it. I've seen the National Ballet, I've seen the New York City Ballet, and they dance from technique; but these people dance from the heart, from the soul. That's what I like about it."
The Divine Performing Arts' Spectacular, which showcases China's traditional culture from the time of the ancient dynasties to the present day, is currently playing a five-show run at Toronto's Sony Centre for the Performing Arts.
"They're so symmetrically correct, everything's beautiful. Just wonderful, I love it and I will come to every performance they ever have. Next time I'd like to bring some of my students. I have a little ballet school. I'd like to bring some of my young people. I think everybody should see this. These performances are phenomenal."
When asked if any one performance stood out in her mind she indicated that she didn't have a favourite. "They're all beautiful. They're all solo material, every one of them. I mean the soloists are lovely too but they're all solo material, every dancer."
"They're all beautiful. We're very fortunate to have them come and perform for us."
The Divine performing Arts company works to portray not only the aesthetic value of a dance but also the inner meaning of the story. "That's what comes through in their dancing, all of them, all the young ones. It comes from here, comes from their heart."
The hundred plus dancers feature classic dances from many cultures including Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan. Such a diverse show contributes to the arts world and to young people as it is inspired by thousands of years of traditions. Tylor agreed with this assessment. "It gives an inspiration like, "Gee I'd like to dance like that'."
"All of it was just beautiful."
Fourteen-year-old dance student Rachel Mervin has been doing ballet since she was three. As one of Tylor's students she can appreciate the skill level of the dancers and the amount of work it takes to make a dance look effortless.
"I thought it was absolutely fantastic. As a dancer, I can honestly say that there was no favourite part in the dance—the entire show was amazing."
After Toronto, the Spectacular will continue on its world tour, playing in the U.S., Japan, Korea, Paris, Singapore and Australia before heading to Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton in the spring.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts shows that will perform in over 60 cities worldwide in 2008. To find a show near you, please visit www.bestchineseshows.com.
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