Tainan: The Divine Performing Arts' Graceful Elegance Inspires a Popular Trend for Chinese Dance in Taiwan (Photos/Audio)

Minghui/Clearwisdom reporter in Tainan

(Clearwisdom.net) The Divine Performing Arts' outstanding performances highlight the inner meaning of China's divinely inspired culture, and are a whole new experience for the dance community in Taiwan. The Divine Performing Arts open up new areas of thought to dance artists in Taiwan and have inspired a new trend for Chinese Dance in Taiwan.

The Divine Performing Arts staged five performances in Taipei and Tainan. Many professionals in the dance field attended and appreciated the performances. They commented on the Divine Performing Arts from the dance profession's point of view. They thought the Divine Performing Arts not only presented a spectacular external performance, they have also seen the profound meaning conveyed from the depths of the heart of the show. This is the divine beauty of the Chinese dance. Therefore, they were amazed and deeply touched.

Music and dance artist Chen Ching-lung: The origin of Art is to return to one's true nature

As a judge of an Art Award, and currently a teacher in a Dance Department at Chang Jung University and Tainan University of Technology, Chen Ching-lung complimented that the Divine Performing Arts transcends different fields and different nationalities. It presented not only an artistic performance, but an artistic performance that warms one's heart and opens up one's mind. He said it explained even higher wisdom of the universe with performances containing the divinely-inspired culture.

Chen Ching-lung pointed out: "The Divine Performing Arts achieved a tacit cooperation between dancing and music on rhythm. It is a rarely-seen performance, different from the performing forms in Taiwan. What it presented is able to move the audience, such as the inner meaning of singing, acoustic vibration, and dance presentation. It put forward a proposition, and let us think over what the origin of art is."

"Modern music and dance education have taken Western culture as a mainstream, and in the way of elite class education, completely ignore that we should return to our true nature, and search for the origin that can touch people in art. Genuine art is not as simple as moving the body or playing a string, but should have an even deeper meaning. Why can people move? Why is there dance?"

Chen Ching-lung stressed that for the general audience, they usually need many people to remind them of their self-restraint, but during the performance by the Divine Performing Arts, the entire audience was so peaceful and harmonious. "It was an influx of many sounds, which come from loving and concern." "Speaking in a relatively informal way, I would say that I could feel that the magnetic field was subtle and precious. You can feel the influence from many different people. We not only saw a dazzling display of the program, but even more - there was a deep flowing river of concern and love." (Audio 1 (700KB) [in Chinese])

East Art Troupe dance coach Chen Hsu-Ching: The Divine Performing Arts presents the real beauty of Chinese dance

East Art Troupe dance teacher Chen Hsu-ching appreciated and complimented the performance by the Divine Performing Arts. She said, "I feel they have achieved what we talk about as 'divine beauty.' Every dancer put much effort in doing all movements, and they performed from the bottom of their hearts. Dancers from departments of general dance professions are unable to do so; this is what we should learn from them. I will tell my students, we really need to put in some effort in doing each movement. I feel that if each movement is done with effort, even though it is a very simply movement, it would be really very beautiful. We may have ignored such simple things sometimes, but I feel I learned a lot from today's performance. Such unique modeling, the dancers and playwright are really outstanding. They devoted themselves into the dance performance, and the entire picture was very beautiful."

Chen Hsu-ching felt the backdrop was terrific. It even had moving images, including the images in the Dunhuang, which were very moving. She felt it is not everyone in Taiwan that can do such things. (Audio 2 (400KB)[in Chinese])

Great Tang Ethnic Dance Troupe dance coach Hsiao Chiu-yun: the audience breaks out in spontaneous applause

The Great Tang Ethnic Dance Troupe dance teacher Hsiao Chiu-yun said, "I'm quite moved tonight after watching the Divine Performing Arts' performance. The entire performance is rich and diversified. The entire dance organization and composition of pictures is very touching. Beautiful compositions and multimedia images added to the dance's marvelous effect. The dancers of the Divine Performing Arts are at an equivalent level in quality; they have a complete set of training courses of classical dance to guide them to easily achieve body art. The performance "Creation" does not have many dance movements, but the stage design is very rich, giving people an impression of the creation of the world."

"Ladies of the Manchu Court" left a deep impression on her. It had very delicate body movements. In "Rainbows" the male dancers played the ribbons so well. It was really not easy. That male dancers could be trained to be so lithe, together with their arm strength - the audience burst into applause spontaneously for them. The composer is really amazing. She believed many people who attended the performance would go home with fruitful ideas.

Veteran dance expert Huang Hsu-hsue: Stage art showing reverence for Buddhas deserves emanation

The Director of the Office of Students Affairs at the Tainan University of Technology Huang Hsu-hsue, also the former dean of the Department of Dance, and also veteran dance education expert, attended the first performance by the US-based Divine Performing Arts in Tainan on April 9. She has been to Dunhuang, where she stayed for seven to eight days and carefully observed images of Buddhas and heavenly beauties. She said that the Divine Performing Arts' performance inspired her to turn such a spirit of traditional belief in Buddhas into stage art. What made her feel it so special was that she had never seen any dance troupes that could integrate the spirit of belief in Gods and Buddhas into performance. This was what she liked and was curious about. The effect this could bring to dance education is what we can learn, she said.

In addition, Ms. Huang complimented that the arrangement of dance and backdrops was excellent. It not only achieved a dynamic effect, but also harmonized the spirit with the setting.

The Dean of "Nan Ying Art and Culture Center" in Madou Town, Tainan County, Wu Hsu-nan, attended the performance by the Divine Performing Arts, and described his feelings as being amazed, admiring and pleasantly surprised.

Dean of Art Center Wu Hus-nan

Mr. Wu explained that he was amazed because the presentation on stage had overwhelming power. Regardless of whether it was lighting, sound and technology or scenes and backdrop, all could achieve an amazing effect at the time. Why did he feel it so admirable? Because a dance performance was able to showcase China's over 5,000 years of broad and profound history in an exquisite and tactful approach. (Audio 3 (600KB) [in Chinese])

Mr. Wu also pointed out, "The entire stage design is very good, whether it is at the court in the Chinese traditional culture or a magnificent momentum in battlefield, all is vividly presented. While appreciating the dance or drama, one would feel one as part of it. What made me pleasantly surprised is that whether it is dance supervisors or art critics in performing arts from around the world, they all complimented the Divine Performing Arts. As Chinese people, we feel very pleased in this aspect."

Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2007/4/11/152612.html

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