EDMONTON—Shawn and Olga McGonigal, who attended the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular on Monday evening at Edmonton’s Jubilee Auditorium, were thoroughly delighted with the show.
“The music was beautiful… the drummers were spectacular… the bowl dancers [Mongolian Bowl Dance] were wonderful. The movements are fluid with the music. Just a beautiful experience, gorgeous colors,” said Shawn, a band teacher.
Olga, a guest services supervisor at the Edmonton City Centre said she was very impressed with the costumes.
“The choreography… it's fantastic. We have a great appreciation for art… for me the dance in particular, since I’ve been dancing since I was four years old.”
She was especially impressed by the Chinese classical dance.
“My favorite part … is the character ballet, so it couldn't have been any better… dances of the nations around the world. It's just perfect.”
When asked what their favorite performances were Shawn said he liked Drummers of the Tang Court and Victory Drums. “I also loved the story about oppression and jail,” he said.
He was referring to ‘The Risen Lotus Flower’ in which three women are imprisoned for following the Chinese spiritual discipline Falun Gong. One of them loses her life and she goes to heaven. “It's beautiful, beautiful, wonderful,” said Shawn.
Olga’s favorite was The Mongolian Bowl Dance. “I absolutely admired that,” she said.
Shawn expressed some of the deepest impressions the show left with him. “Beautiful color, beautiful culture — so much history there. I just celebrate the arts.”
Olga was pleased with every aspect of the show.
“That it's a live orchestra, which is so rare… live dance, and such wonderful Masters of Ceremony. They're did a great job… bilingual, that was fantastic. It's just such a pleasure to the audience, very thoughtful.”
Olga added that she thought the costumes were “absolutely fantastic.” “My favorite color is orange. I don't want to be joking about that, but the piece when they showed a part of heaven… it's all orange costumes, and Shawn said [to me] are you in heaven now?”
For information about upcoming Divine Performing Arts shows, please visit: www.DivinePerformingArts.org.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts company. For our complete coverage please visit: http://en.epochtimes.com/features/dpa2008/
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