(Clearwisdom.net) As part of their 2009 world tour, Divine Performing Arts (DPA) arrived in South Korea on January 30 and held its first performance in Suseong Artpia in Taegu, South Korea. DPA gave five performances in four days. Among the viewers were many well-known artists who expressed admiration for the beauty of DPA. Divine Performing Arts has made a big impression among Korean artists and provided inspiration to many. The performance conveys profound meanings and is considered by many to be a masterpiece.

Associate Chairman of Taegu General Federation of Art and Cultural Troupes: "The performance is extraordinary and distinct and gives people a totally different and refreshing feeling"

Kim Il Hwan, Associate Chairman of Taegu General Federation of Art and Cultural Troupes, is a well-known professional painter in South Korea. After seeing the DPA performance, he said with excitement, "The performance was really good. It was distinctively extraordinary."

Kim Il Hwan, Associate Chairman of Taegu General Federation of Art and Cultural Troupes

On February 2, Kim Il Hwan, together with several of his friends, chose the best seats in the theater and attentively watched the DPA performance. Being a professional painter, he is an expert at colors and has a keen artistic perspective. He believes that the DPA performance is original and distinctive, whether in the design of costumes or in the use of colors. "During the entire performance, the colors were very beautiful and bright. The designs of the costumes of those Chinese minorities are very unique and give people a totally different and refreshing feeling."

He especially liked "The Monkey King Triumphs," a dance drama about the Tang Priest (San Zang) who went to the Western Heaven to obtain Buddhist scriptures, as well as "Dance of the Yi," a dance reflecting the Chinese Yi ethnic group, who live in a place that is praised as the "hometown of clouds." But what he liked most was "Dance of the Snow-Capped Mountain," a dance of Tibetan young men; it lingered in his mind and he was reluctant to see it conclude. He said, "I saw the charms of the minority ethnic groups. It was very good."

The host and hostess told the audiences that the performances require some highly difficult movements like tumbling and jumping. These movements are neither from gymnastics nor from acrobatics but are, instead, from traditional Chinese dancin, and have a history of several thousand years. It is gymnastics and acrobatics that have borrowed these movements from traditional Chinese dance. Kim Il Hwan indicated that the DPA performance has allowed him to understand the essence of traditional Chinese culture in a broad way, and through the explanation of the host and hostess and the performances of the dancers and musicians, he has gained a much deeper understanding of the tradition of classical Chinese dance. "From the tumbling movements, I can see the creativity and rhythm, which has touched me greatly."

Kim Il Hwan is very well-known in the community of painters. His oil paintings have won him many awards in South Korea as well as international painting exhibitions. He is often invited to Shanghai and other places in China for cultural exchanges and joint arts exhibitions. He said that, through the cultural exchanges between Taegu and Shanghai or Nanking, he goes to China every year. He indicated that he has never seen such a large-scale and unique performance.

Chairman of the South Korean Environment Arts Association: "An experience of the atmosphere of Chinese culture"

Mr. Kwon, Chairman of the South Korean Environment Arts Association, applauded the excellence of the performance. "All the dances and scenes were perfectly beautiful. Especially, the backdrops emphasized the performances; this is very effective in creating atmosphere," he said.

Mr. Kwon, Chairman of the South Korean Environment Arts Association, applauded the excellence of the performance

Mr. Kwon believes that this kind of comprehensive performance is very versatile in its artistic expressions. "The descent of heavenly maidens, gods, and Buddhas; the dancing; the music; and the dance dramas were cohesively fused together, which, in combination with the beautiful costumes, created an experience of the atmosphere unique to China."

He was very impressed by the scene where the Lord of Buddhas descends from heaven to earth, and the dance in which the young man in "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution" was killed during torture becomes a Buddha in heaven. The entire performance gave him a totally new feeling. "The performance has elevated our lives," he said.

Mr. Kwon said that Divine Performing Arts presented a traditional Chinese cultural show that is rarely seen in South Korea. He said, "The performers did an excellent job. The backdrops were moving, three-dimensional, vivid, and lively, and made a deep impression on people. The backdrops that accompanied the performances strengthened the atmosphere, and the effect was extremely good.

"Furthermore, the powerful rhythm and the musical atmosphere were extremely wonderful." He added, "I look forward to next year's performance."

A calligrapher from a calligraphy institute: "My inner world was elevated"

After seeing the DPA performance in Taegu on February 2, Lu Jin-Ai (by pronunciation), a calligrapher from a South Korean calligraphy institute, said, "Through the performance, one gets to know traditional Chinese culture. I feel that the inner mind of each and every DPA performer was elevated by the way of arts."

Lu Jin-Ai (by pronunciation), a calligrapher from a Korean calligraphy institute

The dance, "The Mystical Phoenix," through its compassionate and beautiful postures, depicts the heavenly phoenixes from the Baolan (Blue) Paradise, and it conveys brightness and hope. This dance aroused many feelings in Lu Jin-Ai. "This dance is really very beautiful. It made me feel that I also wanted to become a heavenly maiden and fly to heaven."

She indicated that, in comparison with the other performances she has ever seen, the DPA performance is of really high caliber. "The performers are very involved, and the costumes, backdrops, and everything about them were very colorful and elegant, and truly excellent. The entire stage was lively and vibrant, and conveyed the essence of traditional Chinese culture." She felt that the performers shared their inner feelings and she could feel the message of each of the performers' movement. She said, "The messages that were conveyed through each and every movement of the performers have touched me. The backdrop designs are really amazing. I'd feel fortunate to be able to see the performance again in the future."

A professional dancer: "It stirred me greatly and made a deep impression. It will be a great help to my professional career"

Zheng Mingzhu (by pronunciation), a dancer from Taegu City Dance Troupe, spoke very highly of the DPA performers' expressive abilities and the wonderfulness of the colors of the costumes. "It stirred me greatly and made a deep impression. It will be of a great help to my dancing career."

Zheng Mingzhu,a professional dancer

She said, "This performance is excellent. Just like a drama, every performer's expression, movements, and performing technique is outstanding."

Zheng Mingzhu started to study dance when she was in middle school, and she has since had more than 20 years of dance experience. At the recommendation of her friends, she came to see the DPA performance. She indicated that the performance really amazed her. She said with excitement, "The more I saw, the greater I felt; the more I watched, the more I understood."

Zheng Mingzhu said that the performance was really unique and very good. "I have never seen such dancing before. In comparison with the performances of other foreign performing troupes, the DPA performers are very strong in their expressive abilities, which, in addition to the beautiful costumes, let people greatly feel the amazing effect."

Zheng Mingzhu said that "Mulan Joins the Battle," which depicts Mulan, a famous and talented girl in Chinese history, as well as the dance drama "Monk Ji Gong Abducts the Bride," each gave her a unique feeling. "In comparison with other traditional Chinese dances, these dances told stories, and I watched them like fairy tales." Her favorite piece was the dance drama "Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution."

February 2, 2009