Jan 21, 2008

The 2008 Chinese New Year Spectacular graced the stage at Toronto's Sony Centre for the last time last night, having delighted audiences with its presentation of ancient Chinese culture and values.

"It's great to get a chance to see it," said prominent journalist Libby Znaimer, who is currently VP of News and Information and a producer and host at Toronto's Classical 96.3 FM Radio station.

"It's wonderful that you're [Divine Performing Arts dance company] going back to your roots and reviving these ancient arts," she said.

Znaimer said the costumes are "wonderful" and "impressive", and that the performers are all very talented.

"It's obviously very difficult to do those dances, especially balancing the teacups on your head or the way the male dancers were jumping around. It's really great," said Znaimer, adding that she enjoyed the Mongolian Bowl dance and the drummers the most.

Znaimer said she appreciated being able to see a Chinese show since most of the other shows are based on Western culture.

"This is very, very different, this is Chinese culture and it's really wonderful to have a chance to see that."

The Spectacular wrapped up its performances in Eastern Canada after its final show on Sunday January 20. The New York-based Divine Performing Arts, the company presenting the Spectacular shows, has been spearheading a renaissance of Chinese traditional culture that has drawn the attention and admiration of audiences around the world.

In bringing to life the myths and legends of ancient China, along with stories from contemporary times, the creators of the Spectacular are skilled and creative in the use of state-of-the art technology. One example is the dramatic dynamic scenery and multilingual lyrics projected on the background screen.

After Toronto, the Spectacular will continue on its world tour, playing in the U.S., Japan, Korea, Paris, Singapore and Australia before heading to Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton in the spring.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of the Divine Performing Arts shows that will perform in over 60 cities worldwide in 2008. To find a show near you, please visit www.bestchineseshows.com.

Source http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-1-21/64442.html