(Clearwisdom.net) The Shen Yun Divine Performing Arts (SYDPA) New York Company staged the first show of its 2009 European Tour in Century Hall in Frankfurt, Germany, the night of February 21. For the audience, anxiety over the financial crisis was replaced with delight over the exquisite portrayal of traditional Chinese culture.
Political leader: I was very touched
Even though a festival parade was being held in the streets of Frankfurt, the Vice Chair of the Hessen Parliament chose to go see the SYDPA show at Century Hall. Only a week before she had learned that the Chinese Consulate in Frankfurt had attempted to interfere with the show. She decided immediately to attend the show.
The Vice Chair of the Hessen Parliament was impressed by the SYDPA show.
After seeing the show she talked to the reporter. She said, "Fantastic. I was touched. My daughter was very excited, too. There were so many splendid colorful pictures. It was spectacular." Her most favorite part of the performance was the music. "I did not expect there to be so many outstanding musicians in the group. I thought at the beginning there would only be some dancing, but I was fascinated with the music."
The animated backdrops amazed her. "The backdrop scenes made it seem like China. Through the pictures, the show seemed to be happening in China."
She said, "What impressed me most was the dance that showed the persecution of the kid's father ("Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution"). My daughter also understood the dance and she was shocked as well. I think a very aesthetic form of art expression was used."
The Vice-Chair, 40, was elected to the Hessen Parliament eight years ago. Since 2005 she has been the Vice Chair. She won the Hessen election again a month ago and keeps this post, which puts her in charge of cultural and scientific issues.
Professor at an school of music: The show displayed traditional values
Professor Brenner of the music school of Georg-August-Universität Göttingen drove 230 kilometers with his Taiwanese wife to watch the performance. Although it is still chilly in February in Germany, Mr. Brenner and his wife thought it was worth the trip. "The whole show was elaborate and very good. The dances were elegant, smooth, and rich in details. All the directors and dancers are highly accomplished. The costumes were not only bright in color, but also in perfect harmony with the dances. It was very successful. Marvelous!"
Professor Brenner drove 230 kilometers with his Taiwanese wife to watch the performance
Professor Brenner, who specializes in research in Asian and African ethnic music, particularly enjoyed the SYDPA live orchestra, saying that it was a successful model for the combination of Western and Eastern musical instruments. He said, "Combining Western and Eastern instruments is not new, but the effect was not good. The SYDPA's live orchestra performance was flawless." He thought that the orchestra achieved the perfect combination of the use Western and Eastern instruments. "Originality was shown in the compositions. The Eastern instruments began, then the Western. This pleasing harmony could be said to be a model of success."
He said that he did not thoroughly understand the historic background of the dances and his wife had to explain it to him in detail, but he could feel the message of returning to one's true self and being compassionate. He said, "The show delivered not only aesthetic effects but also spiritual information, which is the Chinese traditional value of respecting God and returning to one's true self. This information was expressed very clearly. It would be too much to hope that the world would become better all of a sudden, but everyone of us could start to change ourselves, just like the policeman in the dance ("Dignity and Compassion")."
Financial consultant: Germans need SYDPA
Stephan Gatz lives in Frankfurt, the financial capital of Europe, which has been dubbed "Little New York." He owns a financial consulting company. "In Frankfurt, a very busy city, there is very little chance for people to calm down for even just five minutes without worrying about things in the secular world." After watching the show he said, "I could say that the SYDPA gave me a chance to 'charge my batteries.'"
Stephan Gatz said that the SYDPA show gave him a chance to "charge his batteries."
It was to get a taste of a different culture that he first decided to come to the show. He said that, as a European, he had very little knowledge of Asian culture, especially the Chinese culture. That was why he chose to buy the tickets as a gift for Valentine's Day.
While recalling the show's content by counting on his fingers, Mr. Gatz kept talking, saying, "If I am right, there were twenty different programs in the show, introducing the different Chinese historic stories and culture. I think it's only from this angle that you can say this show was quite perfect. Not only the dancers, but the live orchestra as well as the hosts--all of them were perfect. Surely I can say that, if more people chose to spend tonight the way I did, they would definitely look at the world in a different light. This is a very important point. So I think in this respect, the SYDPA show had a very great impact."
He thought, "The heart of China's traditional culture is the desire for peace for today's people. I can say that, not only people in Frankfurt, but all Germans need the SYDPA show."
