TORONTO—Divine Performing Arts began the Toronto run of its 2009 World Tour with a standing ovation on Thursday night at John Bassett Theatre.
“It really was a tremendous, tremendous first act, the music was wonderful and the dancing was just exquisite,” said Ms Pilkington during the intermission. “I am thoroughly enjoying it.”
Ms. Pilkington, a professor and former dean at one of Canada’s most prestigious law schools, has a long and accomplished career. Besides co-authoring several books and articles on law, she has served as a law clerk to the Supreme Court and advised several organizations and government boards and the provincial government. She is also a governor for a major theatre festival and a trustee for one of Canada’s largest museums.
“It’s lovely! The music and the style of dance go so well together,” she said.
“The choreography was wonderful and the skill of the dancers and the skill of the musicians, the pianist who is accompanying the tenor, and the baritone—it really was a very comprehensive artistic performance. The colours, the movements, it just washes over one.”
Ms. Pilkington said she had seen some other Chinese cultural shows but they couldn’t compare to Divine Performing Arts.
“The grace of it and the strength of it and the agility of the dance is just absolutely amazing. And the subtlety of it, the little turns of the hands and they’re completely in unison. It’s really a beautiful concert. I encourage people to come and see it, both the Chinese community in Toronto and the surrounding area, which is a wonderful vibrant community. This is a program that everyone will enjoy.”
Ms. Pilkington added that the show’s two MC’s, Kelly and Jared, provided “terrific” explanations that helped her appreciate what was being performed.
The show’s program states: “The guiding mission of Divine Performing Arts is to rediscover and renew humanity’s true, rightful cultural heritage. The company thus creates and performs works that centre upon the true, divinely bestowed culture of humankind, and seeks to provide an experience of consummate beauty and goodness.”
Ms. Pilkington said she enjoyed that aspect of the show as well.
“I think that there are so many spiritual traditions and they had so much in common and the commitment to truthfulness, compassion and tolerance [in the show] is something that the world needs everywhere, so I am very pleased to be here.”
Divine Performing Arts takes inspiration from China’s 5,000-year history, bringing many of the country’s myths and legends to life.
“The Chinese culture goes back so far and has been the root of so many art forms and cultural developments that it is important to keep it alive,” she said
Divine Performing Arts will take to the stage six more times in Toronto before moving on to Montreal and New York.
The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts International Tour.
For more information, please see divineperformingarts.org
