MELBOURNE, Australia—"My name is John Cohen, OAM [Order of Australia]. I am a retired headmaster. I used to be chairman for Asian studies for Victoria."
Mr. Cohen shared: "At the moment, I'm lecturing on a course called 'The Making of Modern China.' This is a 10-week course that I conduct for the University of the Third Age. I also used to lecture for the council of adult education in Melbourne.
"I had the feeling here that the performers really had their heart in what they were doing.
"It wasn't just a professional performance, but something that came from the heart of those who performed today.
"I have an idea that the sort of sentiments that we saw expressed on the stage were shared. The applause was at the right times and it made me feel that the audience was at one with the performers. And there was a sharing between what was happening on the stage and those who were sitting in the audience. It was a great performance and a great experience for all those who have the opportunity of partaking in it.
"Now, this performance I thought was absolutely outstanding. The girls, or the ladies—graceful, most graceful. And the men—athletic and spectacular. But so different from the Mao period, the Mao Tse Dong period. Militarist, quite different from the gracefulness of the ladies dancing today. There is a stark difference between them.
"But the whole performance was absolutely spectacular.
"And of course it makes me wonder if the people understand what the Falun Gong is all about.
"I don't know sufficient about it, but perhaps it alerted the audience today that there is repression and there is a sacrifice by many Chinese who want to express something—the compassionate side, the forbearance side. Something that is deeper in the ancient Chinese culture than what we see perhaps today. It's the Confucian values coming through and I'm sure the sentiments that I express today to you must be shared by many other people who saw the performance today.
"And look, something else, the wonderful costumes and the variety of costumes stick in my mind and the young men on the drums—that was spectacular!
"What the Chinese culture expresses is also shared by the wider humanity, in other cultures—it is not just confined to China. It is something that is shared by humanity at large and is shared by other cultures as well. That makes what we saw today universal, rather than just Chinese.
Mr. Cohen, a justice of the peace and a member of the executive committee for The Council of Christians and Jews (Victoria) said: "I would suggest to all Australians who have the opportunity of seeing this performance to use the opportunity and come and see it. Great experience!"
For information about upcoming Divine Performing Arts shows, please visit:
www.DivinePerformingArts.org.
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http://en.epochtimes.com/features/dpa2008/
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