SAN FRANCISCO—On January 11th, Mr. Yuan, a Chinese folk music expert visiting the United States from mainland China, attended the final show of the Divine Performing Arts (DPA) International Company at the War Memorial Opera House. Yuan gave the performance an excellent rating.
“From a professional perspective, the organization of the DPA show was very highly skilled,” said Yuan. “Audience members often become impatient if the time between each piece exceeds three seconds. But, there were hardly any gaps between the dances in this show. It was very fast-paced.”
Yuan pointed out that it is very difficult to organize a show and today very few shows are able to match the standard set by the DPA. “The standard [of the DPA show] is very high. The lights, props, and orchestra must all be coordinated and that would not be possible without such a highly skilled team of dancers, orchestra members and production specialists.”
Yuan played folk instruments as a child and as an adult became a conductor of a folk music orchestra. He was also a composer of Chinese folk music. “Typically, China has eastern style music orchestras based on Chinese folk music and in the west there are western orchestras based on the symphony style,” said Yuan. “In all my years of musicianship, I have never seen an orchestra comprised of both Chinese and western instruments. How unique it is to add western elements to tunes based in Chinese folk music!”
Yuan said that the DPA has achieved yet an additional feat. He said that a company would generally have only a single or at most a couple of main performers. Yuan exclaimed that the DPA is able to present an entire troupe of dancers with equally high skill. “The very high skill level of the dancers and the beauty of the choreography are obvious.”
“I especially liked the fan dance, ‘Welcoming Spring’. It was all very beautiful, including the dancers, the costumes, and music. The orchestra was excellent. It matched the performers on stage with an equal level of emotional intensity.”
Mr. Guan Guimin, a singer famous in China since the 1980s, is a favorite of Yuan and his family. He was very happy to have heard Guan sing. “We have enjoyed his singing since the start of his career in the 1980s. Guan voice is very bright and unique. I wish he had sung a few more songs today.”
Currently, the DPA International Company, one of three DPA companies, will be performing 35 shows in eight western US cities. After its seven shows in San Francisco, the company will be performing in Cupertino, the heart of the Silicon Valley. Yuan believes that all who attend the show will discover an excellent opportunity for gaining a better appreciation of true Chinese culture.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts 2009 World Tour. For more information visit divineperformingarts.org
