Jan 14, 2009

Divine Performing Arts

Divine Performing Arts enthralled another packed Toronto theatre on Wednesday night. (Taili Sun/The Epoch Times)

TORONTO, Canada --Leaving a packed Toronto theatre Wednesday night, Mr. Cowan, a veteran Broadway performer, stopped briefly to share his thoughts on what he'd just seen.

"It was fabulous. . . It was magical. When is it coming back?"

Mr. Cowan came to the Divine Performing Arts (DPA) 2009 World Tour with two friends, one of whom had already seen the show earlier this week and returned Wednesday, insisting that Mr. Cowan join him. He was not disappointed.

"I mean, there was not a mistake. It was just like clockwork," Mr. Cowan said of the show. "It's slick. It's slick. What talented people--wow!"

Mr. Cowan's reaction is characteristic of many others among the 20,000 who packed theatres in Toronto this week and in Waterloo and Ottawa the week before. Now in its third year, this unique performing arts company has a growing fan base driven by word-of-mouth responses to its performances.

DPA says it aims to create unique productions that are not only entertaining and beautiful but also educational, enriching, and uplifting.

Formed by leading ethnically Chinese artists, it seeks to revive the authentic ancient artistic traditions of China that have been tragically eroded under decades of communist rule.

The company thus promises "an utterly unique version of Chinese traditional culture that is at once faithful and innovative" and productions that "audiences of any background can readily appreciate and find refreshing."

Divine Performing Arts

Their costume designers must be incredible. I really admire them.- Dan Liu, one of Canada's top designers (Jason Loftus/The Epoch Times) Dan Liu, ranked among Canada's top-ten fashion designers, saw Divine Performing Arts in September and then came twice this week to watch the 2009 World Tour. He was enraptured by the costume designs and indicated his upcoming shows will bear influences from them.

"Their costume designers must be incredible. I really admire them," he said.

Mr. Liu explained that DPA's designers were able to use historically accurate and seemingly simple designs--"a skirt, a tight cloth, a strip of cloth"--to show the beauty of the female figure.

"I feel not only I, but all the designers in the world, should learn how to use such simple designs to bring out the best side of a person," he said.

Vanessa Harwood, one of Canada's most celebrated ballet dancers, is also among the growing number returning to Divine Performing Arts shows. She's attended three times.

"It's very beautiful, well-rehearsed," she said after watching the show Tuesday night. She said she and her fellow dancers would "love to see a ballet company with male dancers as well rehearsed as these dancers, because they were wonderful, and they do it with such passion and technique too."

Ms. Harwood attended with Nadia Potts, another former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, now director of the dance program at Ryerson University.

Divine Performing Arts

There is something beautiful and transporting about it, it takes you to another world.- Nadia Potts, director of Ryerson University dance program (Evan Ning/The Epoch Times) "It's just the whole performance," she said. "What always hits me about it is the freshness -- the dancers dance as though it's the first time, and the joy with which they dance, and the commitment . . . There is something beautiful and transporting about it, it takes you to another world."

Liberal and Conservative legislators are not known to agree on much, but members of parliament from both sides of the aisle left the show in Toronto Friday night agreeing on the quality of the Divine Performing Arts production.

Peter Kent, the Conservative minister of state for foreign affairs (Americas) was joined by his provincial colleague Peter Shurman. He described the show as "a highly professional combination of drama, dance, and music."

"The individual performances were spectacular. The company performance was physical, eloquent, delicate, and powerful," he said. "I found it a very powerful show--wonderful costumes, wonderful colors, spectacular dancing, magnificent music, and an inspirational message."

Meanwhile Liberal MP Boris Wyzesnewskyj said debate-battered members of parliament could benefit from watching the show.

"This is more than just attending an event . . . it's actually something that is inspiring and I wish that more of our colleagues could come because, as was pointed out during the performance, music and art can have quite a recuperative effect on a person, and we certainly get battered around in the House of Commons," he said.

The Divine Performing Arts emcees explain during the show that the Chinese character for medicine (pronounced "Yao") actually originates from the Chinese character for music ("Yue"), and that traditional music is believed to have a healing effect on the body.

Mr. Wyzesnewskyj's comments were echoed by Liberal MP Rob Oliphant who called the show "very soothing."

The music was not only calming, but highly skillful, according to Mr. Wilkins, one of Canada's most acclaimed musical arrangers, one of more than half a dozen members of the Order of Canada. The Epoch Times interviewed after watching the Divine Performing Arts Canadian shows the last two weeks. The Order of Canada is Canada's highest civilian honor.

"I think [the music] really captures the spirit of the dances and the spirit of what they are trying to portray," said Mr. Wilkins, who has worked with the likes of Celine Dion and Michael Jackson.

"I see there were different composers who have written all pieces for this, and I think they really captured what they were trying to convey very well into music."

The success of the show has added meaning for recent Chinese immigrants like Mr. Liu (no relation to Dan Liu), who attended the show Saturday afternoon. Mr. Liu has watched Divine Performing Arts shows each year since coming to Canada a little over three years ago.

"I have found my pride as a Chinese after seeing such a show in the Western society," he said. "I am very proud."

The show also earned praise from John Fraser, former editor of Saturday Night magazine and dance and theatre critic for the Globe and Mail. He is now master of the elite Massey College, affiliated with the University of Toronto.

"Amazing, spectacular, isn't it?" Mr. Fraser said after emerging from the John Bassett Theatre Tuesday night. "So many dancers, and so many different styles. It's sort of overwhelming."

Mr. Fraser says he recommends the show.

"I don't think it needs my recommendation, though. It looked to me like there were no spare seats in the theatre."