STOCKHOLM, Sweden—With its entertaining and authentic portrayal of Chinese culture, the Chinese Spectacular continues to wow audiences during its run at Stockholm's Circus Theater.
Lennart Sacrédeus, Swedish Member of Parliament, attended Tuesday's show and spoke at length with the Epoch Times of his impressions.
"I'm just coming home from Japan, my very first trip to eastern Asia and that is enhanced by and added to that with this performance here in Stockholm concerning the historic Chinese culture. I think it has a lot to bring to us in the European and the western world where we have less of style, beauty and maybe less elegance and politeness. We fail that.
"Our culture, I find, has too much emphases today on aggressiveness, selfishness, lack of historical depth. But this type of performance has it and I think that reminds us about the vagueness and the shallowness of our cultures a lot of times. I'm very impressed and I think that understanding my own culture, and what has been lost in that culture, I've been helped to find through my recent visit to Japan and through this performance here in Stockholm."
Sacrédeus, who sent a greeting which was published in the Spectacular program, was impressed by the dance and the drumming act, Victory Drums.
"The choreography was extremely impressive and I must also say that although it has another theme, the power of the drummers at the end."
His favorite performance piece was Water Nymphs. "I think I counted them, just 15, but it was like a big army. Just 15 of them could create so much power and so much of strength — it was very impressive. I think all of it has been just beautiful."
"It's a discovery for me to come to a performance like this. I have never been to China, as I said, I had too shallow a knowledge of the eastern Asian culture. But my visit to Japan and this performance tonight helps me a lot in that respect."
"The beauty of the costumes and the cleanness of the colors is just so gorgeous for the eye, the feeling of beauty and should I say cleanness — purity is the word."
Sacrédeus discussed China's Communist Party and its suppression of spiritual beliefs.
"What impresses me also is some of the text describing the suffering under communist dictatorship and oppression and also lack of understanding for spiritual values. That has been presented in a very impressive and genuine way. I think that has been put into this performance in a distinguished, but also very well-thought out way. I'm very pleased."
"It's important with that message as well, not just a performance in music but also that there is a message to it. It is not pure entertainment, it has a message and that is why it has been so dangerous for the Chinese Embassy, for the communist regime. So I can of course understand why they dislike it, but I mean that's the way the system works and that's what we want to remove in order to make China a beautiful democracy."
"What I felt in Japan which is a multi-party democracy after WWII, when that day comes, and that will of course, come for China, it will become a multi-party democracy with human rights. That you stick to your culture and that democracy is not connected to western-style shallowness and this type of over-sexualized society that we have, that you keep your dignity."
"Also one of the key things that I have experienced through this performance is the beauty of the eyes, of the faces of the artists. Well, maybe I should say the female artists because the male has been more like soldiers. They express through their faces something deeply spiritual, they express something good in their hearts.
"If you see photos of pop artists in the western world they don't look too happy. They have cold eyes and look into the picture, what are they expressing? They are not expressing happiness or spiritual or emotional happiness, but coldness and emptiness. This is very contrary to that."
"You know I'm not a member of the Swedish Parliament permanently. I'm originally a high school teacher and you know trying to find the beauty in the eyes of your students that they grow spiritually and knowledge-wise, that is what makes you happy as a teacher.
"But also you should be that as an elected representative and I see that beauty in these people. Too seldom you see it among our own people, young people or middle-age people. But this is something that comes through from the spirit through the face out to the audience in this performance."
When thanked for his time and his kind words, Sacrédeus said, "It comes from my heart."
Sacrédeus' greeting as it appears in the program:
Greetings from Member of Swedish Parliament, Lennart Sacrédeus
In Linköping during the middle ages, Bishop Thomas wrote a verse of freedom. The words continue to ring clearly and in rich tones, still in our hearts, even so this very night: "Freedom is the best thing…"
When people of good determination – in striving after truth, forbearance and purity – are permitted to live in freedom, then society will rise culturally, spiritually, economically, also the outer and inner environment, how we treat each other.
Many years after the time of Bishop Thomas, in Linköping, among other places, the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm attempted to obstruct freedom and stop the performance of the Shen Yun Chinese Spectacular on their Swedish tour. It occurs in the same year as the summer Olympics that shall be held in China. The embassy's interference violates the Olympics spirit of freedom.
Just as during the time of Bishop Thomas, the longings of freedom cannot be extinguished. "Freedom is the best thing…" - For people have an inner determination and force to participate – to create in freedom and with responsibility.
What an inspiring night you shall have in front of you, with this spectacular show, holder of the artists' freedom, of humans' right to freedom!
For information about upcoming Divine Performing Arts shows, please visit: www.DivinePerformingArts.org
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Chinese Spectacular. For our complete coverage please visit: http://en.epochtimes.com/features/dpa2008/
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