By Su Rong, Minghui Reporter in Melbourne, Australia

(Clearwisdom.net) Mr. Bruce Rowan, Mayor of the Shire of Melton in Victoria, and his wife Charlie attended the first show by the Divine Performing Arts Company of New York at the Victorian Arts Center in Melbourne on March 28.

Mayor Rowan and wife Victoria

Mayor: The Show is a Vision of Beauty

Mayor Rowan said, "This show is a vision of beauty, so colorful. The dances are nice, and you can feel the passion of the dancers. Even the most basic movements are so gentle, and full of such deep spiritual meanings. Their facial expressions are very touching, too. The wonderful performances deeply affected me and I was so absorbed in the show." He continued, "The show was surprising and moving. From a cultural perspective, this is an experience that I've never had before. An elderly Chinese man was sitting in front of me, and it was touching to see him putting his hands together at the wonder of the performance, and the tears of joy."

Rowan also said: "I noticed how much the audience around me reacted to the whole performance, that's what I hadn't experienced before. Normally, when I watch well known shows like Swan Lake, or The Nutcracker , I don't notice other people's reactions. This show was different though, you feel as if the audience was moved by the atmosphere. The performances conveyed their messages so profoundly that the audience flowed right along with it, whether it was sad, or joyful. Also you feel as if you are part of it. It's so wonderful." Rowan, who is a lover of martial arts, said: "(I) felt the energy."

Rowan told the reporter, "A girl younger than 10 was sitting behind me, and she kept asking who the performers were, what those shoes meant, etc. She wanted to understand the meaning of everything she saw. Age wise, any one can watch the show. It is suited to any age, there are no cultural barriers, this is a show for everyone to watch and enjoy."

The mayor's wife, Charlie, is an artist. Besides teaching, she also has her own art exhibitions. She said, "The dances are elegant, and the dancers are very flexible as well. It was not like gymnastics, rather, they were real dances full of expression. I teach sign language. I think people with hearing and speaking impairment could watch the show because they can understand without difficulties. The dancing language is very straightforward, and there is no language barrier."

As for the hosts, Rowan thinks that their introductions of the performances were very good, and the humor was enjoyed, "It's very good to use both languages to introduce the performances. The introductions in Chinese and English were coordinated very well, and the two cultures were integrated very well."

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2008/4/1/175626.html