Retired Ballet Dancer: 'The Messages Were Outstanding, So Spiritual'

NEW YORK—"I loved the singing and the opera. The compassion, the truthfulness—and the third thing: forbearance," said Margarita Penez.

"The messages were outstanding, so spiritual," added Penez, a retired ballet dancer, commenting on the Chinese New Year Splendor at Radio City Music Hall Tuesday night. Because of her professional background, Penez related to the show. "I understand the dance. I relate to it, to everything."

About Chinese classical dance and how it differs from western forms, she said, "What I know is different from ballet… This is not ballet. This is different, you are not conscious of it. It was raised over 5,000 years. We've only been around for, what, a thousand years?"

Margarita Penez, a retired ballet dancer, said she loved the "singing and the opera" in the Chinese New Year Splendor. (Jan Jekielek/The Epoch Times)

When asked what her favorite piece in the Splendor was, she replied, "I liked all of them…the drums—I related to them for some reason."

Mitci Swenson, director of volunteer services at a hospital, also attended Monday's show.

"Beautiful. I haven't seen anything like it," she said. After 15 performances in New York between February 30 and January 9, the Splendor will continue on its tour of over 65 cities worldwide, stopping next in Europe, followed by Japan and Taiwan.

The Chinese New Year Splendor continues in New York through Saturday, Feb. 9. For other shows in the Divine Performing Arts world tour, please visit: www.DivinePerformingArts.org .

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Chinese New Year Splendor.