The Shen Yun Chinese Spectacular world tour continues its Nordic run landing in Finland on Saturday. After five successful shows in Stockholm and Linkoping, Sweden, Tampere has been given the honour of hosting the show's Finnish debut with performances on March 30 and 31. On April 3, the show returns to Stockholm for an encore performance.
A second Divine Performing Arts tour company is currently performing in Melbourne, Australia. All told, this year's Spectacular will tour to 60 cities on four continents.
The Chinese Spectacular was invited to Finland by KIPETA cultural association and the Finnish Falun Dafa Association. Veijo Pekkarinen, KIPETA Chairman and co-organizer of the show says he's grateful to have the DPA in Finland.
"We are very happy and grateful to have the world class Shen Yun company performing here in Finland. This is a unique opportunity for Finland to see a professional show of traditional, and the partially erased culture from old China," said Pekkarinen.
Pekkarinen says the show has received a warm reception in Finland. "Without exception, people have been interested when they receive our colorful fliers. When we have shown the promotion video many have said that it is so beautiful and it touches them deeply.
Many Finns, Pekkarinen explains, have developed negative feelings towards China because of the recent events and suppression in Tibet. "Due to the situation in Tibet we have had to clearly explain that the artistic group is not from mainland China and that it has nothing to do with the brutal actions by the Chinese regime against Tibetans. This has made people respond positively to the Shen Yun Chinese Spectacular," said Pekkarinen.
Even before the first curtain has risen, Pekkarinen is thinking about the show's future in Finland. "We hope that the performance will return to Finland in the future and then even to Helsinki."
The Spectacular will be playing at the modernistic Tampere Hall, a major congress and concert center in Finland.
"As a matter of fact, we are the biggest congress and concert center in Scandinavia," said Anja Aarnio, vice-CEO of Tampere Hall Ltd.
Aarnio explained the importance of the center in the region.
"Tampere is a rather small town. We have a little more than 200,000 inhabitants and Tampere Hall was established 20 years ago. So this has of course given a much richer culture to this town, and also the surroundings and I would say even nationally, and considering the whole Scandinavia, we are really a major center here," she said.
"We are very much looking forward to it," said Aarnio about the performance. "We welcome Tampere people and people from all over Finland to Tampere hall to watch this Shen Yun Spectacular."
Facts about Tampere
Tampere is located in Birkaland in western Finland. Tampere is the largest inland city in the Nordic region. It was established in 1779 by Swedish King, Gustav III on a fast-moving river linking two lakes, Nasijarvi and Pyajjarvi. At that time, a dam, or "damber" in Finnish, was constructed on the river from which the city derived its name.
In the mid-19th century, Tampere became a center for textile production, thus earning it the nickname "Manchester of the North." This industrial character still remains but today, the city is becoming better known for its rich variety of cultural attractions which draws crowds of tourists during the summer months. The city has 20 theaters and the popular annual internationally Tampere Jazz Happening.
Several well-known Finish writers have also called Tampere home, including Vaino Linna (The Unknown Soldier, 1954), and poets Eeva-Liisa Manneria and Yrgo Gylhaa.
Currently, the city's best known resident is probably mobile phone giant, Nokia. It isn't surprising, then, that Tampere has also always been on the cutting edge for new technology. In 1882, Tampere became the first Nordic city to install electric streetlights, and in 1991, the world's first GSM telephone call was placed from the city.
With files from NTDTV
Feeds