KANSAS CITY—Spreading a message of peace and compassion, the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular performed at Johnson County for two shows at Yardley Hall, a cultural hub for the community, on April 26 and 27th.
Aubrey Alexander, from Kansas City, who is a dancer herself, said, "The singing and the dancing, I loved them both."
She mentioned that she would love to study Chinese traditional dance in the future. Her favorite dance was the 'Mongolian Bowl Dance', which highlights the ritual during a traditional Mongolian feast, when hosts and guests alike dance with bowls carefully balanced atop their heads.
The Chinese Spectacular sees both English and Chinese hosts guiding a celebration of classical arts, and reawakening 5,000 years of culture and tradition. The show has traveled to major cities throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.
Trisha Angelo, a teen from Kansas City, said, "I am part Asian, and it seems to tell people about what happened in the old culture."
Angelo said the show sends a message of how people are persecuted for religious beliefs, a message she had learned about in school, but how the show really helped her understand.
Chad Oglesbay, an IT educator in Kansas City, said, "My favorite part was the drums. I used to play in a band, and these drums were fun."
He was referring to performance titled 'The Drummers of the Tang Court'. Historically, this style of drumming was played to accompany soldiers into battle, dispatching commands, boosting morale, and evoking power.
A graduate student at the University of Kansas, Chiaki Gonda, said, "The costumes were absolutely beautiful." Chiaki arranged for other university students and their families to travel to the performance by taking a bus from campus into Johnson County.
Chiaki enjoyed watching 'The Risen Lotus Flower', which portrays three Chinese women who are persecuted for their beliefs in the spiritual practice of Falun Gong. "I really like how they incorporated the exercise movements into their art. It was really cool!"
The Divine Performing Arts company will head to St. Louis to perform at the Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri-St.Louis for two shows on April 30th and May 1st.
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/