Audience at the Murat Centre in Indianapolis. (The Epoch Times)
INDIANAPOLIS--Mr. Bardizbanian, a musician, was greatly impressed with the Divine Performing Arts show which he attended Saturday at the Murat Centre in Indianapolis.
He especially enjoyed the orchestra, unique in that it combines Chinese and Western instruments.
"Musically speaking, I like the combination of classical orchestra with the added Chinese traditional instruments. It's westernized, not the Chinese scale, but it works really well for this audience," he said.
Mr. Bardizbanian teaches music and plays piano and organ for local Christian services and conventions. He also provides bookkeeping services.
Divine Performing Arts is a New York-based performance company founded by leading Chinese artists seeking to revive China's traditional culture and present it to audiences around the world through Chinese classical dance and music. Classical Chinese dance is at the heart of the show.
Mr. Bardizbanian said there was "modesty" in both the dance and costuming, as well as a "gigantic lack of thumping on stage, they were very light-footed. Very, very soft and also doing tumbles with no hands, that's really interesting. Everything is very well done, very well executed, very well timed."
He was also impressed with the digital backdrops, which are custom-designed to coordinate with the costumes, choreography, lighting, and storyline for each dance.
"I love the combination of video being used as a backdrop set, that's really wonderfully done."
The show depicts myths and legends from ancient China, contrasting with stories from modern-day China where spiritual belief is persecuted. One such story shows a father of a young girl being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party for his belief in the spiritual practice of Falun Dafa.
Mrs. Bardizbanian, who also attended the show, said she was especially moved by this piece, called Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution.
"It's just so beautiful it makes you want to cry. We've been to lots of programs as musicians and this is one program that has touched me emotionally."
Mrs. Bardizbanian runs law offices and currently manages business accounts for law firms in Indianapolis dealing with civil litigation and intellectual property.
Regarding the same piece, Mr. Bardizbanian said, "In that particular scene the whole concept that you're going to have trials on earth, [is] absolutely [true], and like this paragraph from the book says, we will get rewarded even if not in this lifetime."
Category: Shen Yun Performing Arts
