Jan 24, 2009
(Clearwisdom.net) WESTCHESTER, New York--The Performing Arts Center at SUNY-Purchase College, on 400 acres of natural landscape half an hour from Manhattan, hosted the Divine Performing Arts "Chinese New Year Splendor" on Jan. 23.
Mr. Mawson, who was once a Buddhist monk in Thailand, was delighted with DPA's
portrayal of Chinese traditional culture through classical Chinese dance and
music.
"I thought the show was wonderful. I was absolutely mesmerized by it,"
he said.
Originally from England, Mr. Mawson now lives in Westchester, N.Y., and teaches
Thai Dhammakaya meditation, nutrition, and disease prevention.
"I just loved the dancing, the singing, the costumes, and lots of very,
very hard work has gone into producing such a wonderful show. It's very moving,
actually."
Mr. Mawson said he was particularly touched because he realized that the two
performances about the persecution of Falun Gong in the show were based on
reality, and many people in the West were quite unaware that such a persecution
existed.
"I understood where the show was coming from," he said, "I
understood the persecution of people practising Falun Gong in China."
"Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution" and "Dignity and
Compassion" tell the story of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners
in two very different and moving ways. Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline
rooted in Chinese culture whose adherents are experiencing brutal treatment at
the hands of the Chinese regime.
"It was presented in such a way that it went right to my soul, if you
like," said Mr. Mawson of the two pieces. "There were many moments
when it was quite emotional for me to watch what was going on."
Source: http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10834/
Category: Shen Yun Performing Arts
