(Clearwisdom.net) Divine Performing Arts (DPA) and the Divine Performing Arts Orchestra performed at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis on Sunday afternoon, February 8, 2009. From the first performance to the last, the audience delighted in an unforgettable evening of brilliant colors, exquisite costumes, and magnificent music.

"The Dancing and the Music Were Absolutely Top-notch!"

Mr. Monteith is a nurse manager at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis. He was completely thrilled with the show, saying, "I love the arts, I love dance and music, and I had no earthly idea that this was as exquisite as it was--fine art all the way! The dancing and the music were absolutely top-notch!"

He was very grateful to have the opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture. "It was so nice to get a glimpse into Chinese culture and the whole celebration of the Chinese New Year, something that I was really not at all familiar with. Very delightful, wonderful show."

"It Was Absolutely Marvellous! Very Exquisite Performance!"

The reporter asked Mr. Monteith what the show taught him about Chinese culture, to which he replied, "The dance. Some of the moves. One of the things that I was most interested in was that nothing was ever repeated in the show, unlike in Western dance and music where you have specific forms and themes in music and in the dance. It is so interesting to see the Eastern style performances. It was absolutely marvellous! Very exquisite performance!"

He said he "absolutely" loved the stories and the messages behind the stories. "The messages were all upbeat, very positive, although they reflected on, you know, some of the pain and suffering of the darker side of Chinese culture. But everything was approached in a very positive way ... starting the New Year with hope."

"I Loved the Culture"

Warner Davis, a Presbyterian pastor attended the show with his wife, Yan Tingting.

"I loved the culture, the fact that you are presenting the culture of China, a culture that's been going on for several centuries now. And I very much appreciate being exposed to that," he said.

Mr. Davis especially liked the piece "Monk Ji Gong Abducts the Bride." He said he liked how Monk Ji Gong "confronted people with the reality of their situation, but did it through the role akin to a court jester.

"I found that very, very intriguing, and of course, the fact that people did not take him seriously, nor had he won their love until the disaster actually occurred. I was very intrigued by that."

When the reporter asked him if he thought this particular performance was a timely message to the people of the world, he replied, "Yes, I think what often happens is that we get caught up in our daily routines and what we have to do to make a living."

He continued, "So when some prophet says, 'Hey, you better watch out, you better be careful, you better be concerned about how you live,' there are still some people who won't listen and continue on with their regular way of living and then reality strikes and then people see the light."