(Clearwisdom.net) From January 30 to February 9, a total of 15 Divine Performing Arts presentations of the Chinese New Year Splendor were staged in Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall. The show caused quite a sensation in Western society. Audiences were captivated by the artists' world-class performances, and even more so by the "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" content of traditional Chinese culture. During the run of the production, the New York Times newspaper carried an article in which the writer accused the show of containing Falun Gong "propaganda." The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is notorious for its destruction of traditional Chinese culture, seized the opportunity and used its controlled media to publicly denounce the show as "getting political." The CCP's accusation deceived some people who have not seen the performance. However, many artists and commentators who have seen it have stepped forward to praise the show on their websites or Blogs.

On February 6, photographer James Fraiman and graphic designer Sherry Kornfeld saw the Chinese New Year Splendor in New York City (photo by Zhusi Xu / Epoch Times)

The New York Times writer particularly cited the words of a children's author to challenge the "Falun Gong content" of the performances. Ten-year-old James and his mother, Mary Rose, commentators for Chiff.com, after watching the Chinese New Year Splendor performance on January 31, recommended the show to their viewers:

James wrote, "I really thought it was pretty awesome. I would definitely recommend it to other kids my age. The dancing was really cool but my favorite parts without a doubt were the drummers and the erhu solo. I thought the 'Victory Drums,' 'Chopstick Zest,' and 'Drummers of The Tang Court' were really powerful. The drums are an important part of Chinese culture and you really get why when you see, and hear them up close. You can actually feel the music pounding through your body...I imagine it (erhu) is a very hard instrument to learn how to play."

Rose wrote, "I have heard some complaints about the show being a three-hour-long propaganda fest. Throughout the show you are reminded that the Chinese people, in spite of a totalitarian government, remain guided by the principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.' My take is simply this, anytime you have a cultural show that showcases history, spirituality, artistic expression, and social issues you run the risk of being labeled propaganda. However, if you go to the show and view it as it was meant to be seen, then you come away with the feeling of having experienced a richly entertaining, visually pleasing, cultural encounter that hopefully delights and charms. You may take from it whatever lessons you desire. If you learn a little something about the culture then that is all the better."

"For us, the Chinese New Year Splendor was a marvelous experience. It is a journey into China's past, where myths and legends mixed with reality every day. It is a spectacular array of classical Chinese performing arts. Mesmerizing dancers accompanied by a full orchestra and supported by dazzling, high-tech imagery. The visually stunning stage experience of dances, songs, and symphony opened the door for us to come away with a greater knowledge or at least appreciation of Chinese culture, history, folklore, and the arts."

"Dance is at the heart of this great production, with both the male and female dancers exhibiting the various disciplines. The female dancers appeared to float around the stage. Most dances reflected lightness and grace. They demonstrated multiple talents with vigorous jumps and dazzling spins. A large contingent of Mongolian men beat out intricate rhythms with bunches of wooden chopsticks as they imitated the movements of eagles and horses. The colors, costumes, and flowing materials that were incorporated into the dances were as much a part of the show as the artists. Everything was in English as well as Chinese, and you are guided through the program by two hosts that introduce each scene and share the bilingual introductions. There were a few times during the show when the emcees would ask questions of the audience to encourage audience participation and even teach a few Chinese words."

Ten-year old James and his mother, Mary Rose, art critics of Chiff.com, watched the Chinese New Year Splendor performance on January 31 (photo by Zhusi Xu / Epoch Times)

A photographer "unprecedentedly" praises the show

Photographer James Fraiman, after seeing the Chinese New Year Splendor performance on February 6, "unprecedentedly" wrote on his blog to introduce the performance:

"I do not, as a rule, do theater reviews on these pages... but I feel compelled to make an exception....Being well aware of China's penchant for unbelievable color combinations, I expected a magical pageantry filled with superb choreography and the recreation of ancient legends. I was not quite prepared for what I saw, however. While the colors of the background, the colors of the costumes, the powerful yet graceful movements of the dancers more than lived up to my expectations there was more..."

"The unexpected element came as a total surprise. It consisted of injecting politics into a performance of dance and music in a format we rarely see in the West, in ways only art forms can so powerfully express...The choreography showed women as beautiful, graceful, and delightfully feminine. Men were portrayed as powerful yet sensitive... just as the genders were meant to be before the roles and attitudes blurred as in today's society. The political message of the regime's persecution of the Falun Gong benefited from the pageantry as it crescendoed from its initial subtleness into a very powerful finale!"

"Among the many great parts of this show I must single at least out a few. Xiaochun Qi's performance on the erhu, a Chinese instrument, at times reminded me of a human cry and touched me deeply; tenor Hong Min's powerful, lyrical voice reached far within the innermost fabric of his listeners. The 'Nymphs of the Sea' and 'Water Sleeves' segments made ample use of silk to mimic the movement of water with unexpected realism. 'Forsythia in Spring', beautifully, gracefully, and delicately portrayed the blooming forsythia--ying chun hua--as it welcomed the spring. The dancer's movements and their symbolism wove a message of hope and renewal. The final segment, 'Victory Drums,' powerfully reinforced the message of hope and final overcoming of the evil of the current ruling elite."

"Over all, it was a delightful evening filled with beauty, splendor, hope, and power! Bravo, bravissimo!"

February 14, 2008