New York: "The Songs Are Inspiring"

By Cai Ju

(Clearwisdom.net) On the night of February 5, 2008, Divine Performing Arts finished its eighth Chinese New Year Splendor performance in Radio City Music Hall in New York. Many in the audience gave the show high marks.

An older couple watched the performance intently and clapped warmly after each performance. When the reporter approached them, the wife, Susan Bourtros, said she would be happy to share her opinions.

Dr. Susan Bourtros is a microbiologist who works for an environmental company in Ithaca, New York. Her husband, Dr. Osiris Bourtros, is a retired professor of biology from the University of Pittsburgh.

"It's a perfect show. The performances are both beautiful and inspiring," said Susan Bourtros, "It let me see an extraordinary part of Chinese culture that I was not aware of before. The songs are very inspiring, too."

Dr. Osiris Bourtros said that the show was "incredible" and that he was very impressed with China's culture.

Dr. Susan Bourtros wondered how the ancient Chinese could come up with such interesting stories as "Chang E Flying to the Moon." She noticed that every dance had a meaning to it, such as the dance about the dream that wove philosophy through the story. This, she said, is different from regular Broadway shows such as the one she had just seen the night before. She thought this one truly illustrated the Chinese culture, and that the performers' timing was very, very precise

Dr. Bourtros said she would tell her daughter in San Francisco to go to the show.

Ann Smith and her friend, Caroco Mancusi, came from Long Island. They thought the show was "gorgeous and colorful," better than they expected. "We loved every part of it. It is really a beautiful show," they said.

Ama Mathewos is a nurse. She came with a friend, Denise Jean-Louis, who works in public relations. They were impressed with the colors and the design of the show. They liked the elegance of the dances, especially the "Drummers of the Tang Court."

Mr. Alex Firescu, a businessman from Brooklyn, brought his wife to the show. He said, "This is a successful performance. I love Chinese art. This is my first experience of Chinese culture. The show is great! The dances are beautiful, and they passed along a good message. This is what we need. I will come next year."

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