(Clearwisdom.net) The Divine Performing Arts company, presently touring Australia, arrived at its fourth stop, Canberra, on April 9, 2008, following shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. On April 11, all tickets for the first show of the Chinese Spectacular in Canberra were sold out. Audience members waited in line to enter the theater early, and people were still checking the box office for available tickets a half hour before the show.
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Nearly one hundred invited guests, including Mr. Bill Stefaniak MLA, Iraqi Ambassador Ghanim Al-Shibli, Representative for the Spanish Ambassador Arely Cordova, Dr. Lin Song-huan of the Taiwan Liaison Office in Australia, Southern Cross Ten TV station, 2CA Radio Broadcasting Station, and the Canberra Times, attended a reception before the performance. Afterwards, they watched the performance along with more than one thousand other audience members.
Australian Liberal Party politician: This year "Is a little better than last year"
Mr. Bill Stefaniak MLA, an Australian Liberal Party politician, attended the Chinese Spectacular with his daughter in Canberra on April 11. Mr. Stefaniak was impressed by the backdrop. He said, "I really liked the use of the visuals and also the way the screen was used, technically, behind the actual dancers. I think that was quite spectacular. For example, the birds that go up to become the sun, and then got shot down by the hero with his arrows, ["Lady of the Moon"] -- very, very spectacular.
"I think the main highlight is that China has 5,000 years of culture that can never be crushed, no matter how misguided people in the past might have tried. And a culture like China is a culture which should be universal and shared with the world. And there are universal values such as truth, which should be shared with the world, which we all share, and we all should abide by, no matter what our race, color or creed."
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Iraqi Ambassador in Australia: Fantastic, seems as if we were in another world
Iraqi Ambassador Ghanim Al-Shibli and his daughter attended the show together. Mr. Al-Shibli said that the performance was a fantastic display of culture and color. He said, "Different cultures and backgrounds have a different message. Looking at the Chinese culture, it is graceful and good, because it is the longest one of our four ancient civilizations."
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Mr. Al-Shibli commended the performers for their exceptional skills and ability to convey deeper, inner meaning. "I liked the colors, dancing and the choreography. And the backdrops were excellent. I'd like to say it seemed as if we were in another world. I enjoyed it very much. I wish more people could see this great Chinese traditional culture."
His daughter said, "I really enjoyed watching the show. We would like to come again next year... It is important to know another culture. This is the best show I have ever seen in Canberra."
Representative of Taiwan Liaison Office in Australia: This is the best among Chinese artistic performance companies I have ever seen
Dr. Lin Song-huan of the Taiwan Liaison Office in Australia said with delight after seeing the show, "The whole performance was a real success, including the costumes, backdrops, and stage arrangement. It demonstrated the profoundness of Chinese culture." He also appreciated the fact that the Spectacular paid attention to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
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Dr. Lin said, "I congratulate Divine Performing Arts for its highly successful performance in Canberra. It was warmly welcomed by Canberra audiences. There were no vacant seats. It is the best Chinese performance company I have ever seen. The backdrop is really admirable. I think I represent the whole audience in offering appreciation to Divine Performing Arts."
Dr. Lin continued, "I really enjoyed the legends and historical stories shown on stage. The Divine Performing Arts performance is splendid. The dances 'Lady of the Moon' and 'The Loyalty of Yue Fei' were my favorite pieces. The performance also prompted positive comments from other audience members around me."
Drummer: A world-class show
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Graduate student Geir from Australia National University is an amateur drummer. He commended the performance as world class.
Italian immigrant: I wish I could come to see the performance again tomorrow
Canberra resident Maria brought her children, mother and other relatives, a total of six people, to see the show. She said, "It is fantastic! It is the best show we have ever seen. We were touched by every aspect of the show, including the music, costumes, and dancing. It is truly spectacular. I'll tell all my friends to come see it. I really wish I could see it again tomorrow."
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On April 11 and 12, three shows of the Chinese Spectacular were performed in Canberra. Divine Performing Arts will next travel to South Australia for the last stop of its Australian tour.
