Epoch Times: Ausdance Director: 'Very impressed with the technical standard of the dancers' (Photo)

Epoch Times Staff

April 12, 2008

Neil Roach:"I understand there is a very clear message with the show and I appreciate the way the message is being communicated to us as an intelligent audience. I think it is a very good way of communicating what is obviously a very important message." (Jack Liu/The Epoch Times)

(Clearwisdom.net) CANBERRA, Australia--"I'm very impressed with the technical standard of the dancers," said Neil Roach, the local director of the Australian Dance Council (Ausdance) after seeing the Chinese Spectacular at it's final performance at the Canberra Theatre on Saturday April 12.

"It's a marvelous presentation and the technical standard I find is very high. I'm also surprised that I have not been introduced to classical Chinese dance in such a way, so I am enjoying it very much," he said.

Mr. Roach is also a theater performer in dance and acting, and said he had a special appreciation of the high caliber of the performers.

"There are some very powerful and very impressive dance pieces in the performances. There is one particular male dancer, when he shot down the nine suns [in 'Lady of the Moon'] ... he is of a very high standard. I'm very impressed. And seeing such a large company of dancers on stage -- I counted at least 40 and perhaps there are more.

"I'm very impressed with the standard of the work overall and very impressed with the traditional Chinese dance. I've not had an opportunity to see such, such dance before so I would like to say thank you to the promoters for bringing it to Canberra.

"I actually work in the performing arts and I'm the local director for Ausdance ... a national Australian dance lobby which has an office in each state, so we represent dance. I have a lot of dance studios as my members and a lot of individual dancers as my members, but I have also worked as a dancer myself and an actor and a puppeteer and a performer in many, many fields. So when I see that, I see a very high standard of dance on stage, I think I have a very good appreciation of what it takes to achieve such a high quality work.

"I understand there is a very clear message with the show and I appreciate the way the message is being communicated to us as an intelligent audience. I think it is a very good way of communicating what is obviously a very important message.

"I'm receiving a message of the depth and breadth of traditional Chinese culture and how important it is to retain that ... I say traditional dance forms must be preserved and appreciated and shared as [Divine Performing Arts] are sharing this with us today.

Mr. Roach continued: "I'd like to say it is a very enjoyable show. I've brought my young children with me and they are enjoying it immensely, and I'd encourage everyone to see it. [My] two young sons ... I think they most enjoyed the drumming at the end -- very martial arts and appeals to boys. But I also enjoyed very much some of the dancers, the one particular young male dancer who is of a very high standard, I'm very interested in him."

For information about upcoming Divine Performing Arts shows, please visit:
www.BestChineseShows.com.

Source http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-4-12/69058.html