Durham, North Carolina: "The Message of Spirituality Comes Through Very Clearly"

(Clearwisdom.net) The Divine Performing Arts New York Company performed at the Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, North Carolina at 7:00 p.m. on December 28, 2008.

Artist and Teacher: "I actually felt different in my body"

Michele paints landscapes and portraits for a living and teaches about health and the environment. She attended the DPA show with her friend Dave.

She said she learned a lot about traditional Chinese culture from the show and gained a different perspective on ancient wisdom and how it ties in with our current period of history. "There was a sort of fusion of the past, present, and future, all together."

She thought every program was beautiful and the dances and singing were excellent. "The dancing was very colorful... and the costumes were beautiful, and the music was beautiful, and the singers."

Michele was greatly inspired by the courage and fortitude portrayed in the different ancient stories. "I do feel inspired. And the message of transcending your hardships, that life can be difficult but there always has to be something to yearn for, to look forward to, to believe in."

She also liked the colorful costumes and backdrops. She said, "I found that very moving, and very healing. I actually felt different in my body, from seeing that."

Musician and Teacher: Overwhelming Connection with the Divine

Dave, an eight grade English teacher and long-time musician, was deeply touched by the show's connection between the Divine and the physical world, saying "That was the overwhelming emotion or overwhelming connection that I made."

He said, "The show carries a message of hope and spirituality. When you hear the music, with the lyrics up on the backdrop, the message of spirituality comes through very clearly."

Navy retiree: "Love it. I love it"

Ernest Hooker is retired from the navy after over twenty years of military service. He attended the show with his wife and his daughter, Christian.

When asked how he liked the show, he replied, "Love it. I love it. The drummers are awesome. They're all awesome. Very nice, beautiful, I loved it."

His daughter, Christian, said she was partial to the drumming parts because she plays Taiko, which is a Japanese ensemble type of drumming. "I think the drumming is phenomenal. I just loved to hear the synchronized drumming and they combine it with dance, which is something that we don't do in our own group. But it is amazing, and a lot of people don't recognize how difficult it is to do all of that, at the same time."