BERLIN—Alexander Pfennig is a doctoral student in the field of political science at the Free University of Berlin. His area of study is China's foreign affairs. He saw the Chinese Spectacular Saturday evening at Berlin's International Congress Center and appreciates the connection between tradition and modernity. The Epoch Times spoke with him after the show.
Epoch Times: How did you like the Spectacular?
Pfennig: It was a very beautiful evening, and I was pleased to have been here. It is very impressive. One cannot see something like this here in the West every day, especially with the fans or those long sleeves [Water Sleeves]. One asks: 'How does one depict water?' Well, we have seen it tonight – one does not need a projector for that.
My impression is that the music was a little bit geared toward the western taste. Traditional Chinese music surely sounds a little bit different, but I think it was not changed that much in order not to distort it somewhere. I would say that it is an all-around successful balancing act between pleasing the western public and the traditional Chinese.
Epoch Times: Would you consider it to be a show for young and old?
Pfennig: I saw families with small children at the show who always asked what this western gentlemen said in Chinese. The translation was then given by the Chinese lady. It was beautiful with the projection in the background which is especially exciting for younger people who are familiar with colorful pictures on a screen.
Epoch Times: Were you pleased that the dancers were so young?
Pfennig: One has the general impression – and in the performance it was also indicated a little bit – there are people who would rather dance in a disco. For them the kind of dance that was shown here might seem a little outdated. They also had a very young dancer in the show so young performers were highlighted. The vocalists were a little older. I found it exciting that several generations took part in this project. Epoch Times: Your mother is from Taiwan. What did you learn about Chinese culture?
Pfennig: At first this might sound absurd — the food, which is important and which was also depicted with the chop sticks [Chopstick Zest] and the bowls [Mongolian Bowl Dance].
And then there was the big variety. In Germany one thinks, 'Well, we have bread and sausages, which also taste wonderful.' But this is much more extensive, much more colorful and I think today that really succeeded. It is really something for ones eyes, really, those many colors, like the rainbow, which was there too.
And then there was this connection between traditional and modern times. During the performance, history was brought back to life again. One can say that this still holds true today, even though they are things that are more than one thousand years old. Elements of the Tang Dynasty have survived even today with the Chinese and even now play a role worldwide.
Epoch Times: Which piece did you like most?
Pfennig: That is difficult to say. I am almost tempted to say that the most impressive were the drums at the end. One thinks 'This is a very simple instrument which only generates one tone - that could be a drawback.' But there is an enormous spectrum [of sound] one can produce which of course speaks for the artists and that they are able to handle this instrument really perfectly.
Epoch Times: Do you play an instrument?
Pfennig: I have played the piano for 15 years, classical European music. It is exciting for me to learn during an evening such as this one that there are other instruments, other possibilities for expression.
Epoch Times: Were you able to hear the difference, this combination of western and eastern?
Pfennig: I think there was also someone on stage with a western face. Then this is truly multi-cultural in its best sense and I find it beautiful, that one is able, even with a western face, to tap into this foreign culture. Not along the lines of 'This is China. You here in the west cannot understand that at all.' There are real connecting factors.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Chinese Spectacular shows. For more information, please see www.bestchineseshows.com .
For our complete coverage please visit http.en.epochtimes.com/features/dpa2008/.
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