(Clearwisdom.net) With the coming of the Chinese New Year, Divine Performing Arts is presenting shows in New York; at the State Theater in New Brunswick, New Jersey; and at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark from January 24 to 27. Audiences in these cities will get to enjoy the essence of the 5000-year-old Chinese culture.

Inspired by the universal values of China's culture, the show depicts historic myths and legends as well as contemporary stories of courage through classical Chinese dance. The show also uses innovative animated backdrops to captivate the imagination.

Several audience members were asked what they thought of the performance and they responded with amazement and surprise.

Mr. Faison is a clinical trials manager at a pharmaceutical company. He stated that he is also a musician and plays saxophone in a jazz band.

When asked his impression of the show, he said, "Oh, it was great. The music was great, the costumes, the dances--everything was really well put together. It was actually pretty educational, too. It brought out the culture and history of China, so it was really nice."

Concerning the divine messages depicted in the show, he said, "That's something I didn't really know about China. It was really interesting. I guess it's something we don't really think about much in Western culture--about something being imparted from the gods...so it's really interesting to see that perspective."

He continued, "I would say it's really educational, I hadn't expected it to say so much about the culture and the history of China, as opposed to just some kind of pure entertainment."

Special education teacher Ms. Lewis

Ms. Lewis is a special education teacher in art. She also paints and is a local artist. She appeared to have greatly enjoyed the show and said, "From a visual perspective, this is just so enthralling for me to see these colors, the costumes, the dancing, and the music--everything is so well integrated. It is really exciting. This is my first exposure to the Chinese New Year and I am very excited to be here. It's an absolutely beautiful performance." She repeatedly expressed her appreciation of the show and its organizers.

Dr. Luis Martinez is an assistant dance professor at Kean University

Dr. Luis Martinez is a dance professor at a local university. He teaches modern, jazz, and ballroom dance. He commented, "The program is wonderful. It's beautiful, rich, and enlightening. The colors and the costumes, the background and the choreography are all excellent. The dancers have a lot of energy and it's exciting to see. I really enjoyed it. I am going to share it with my family and tell all others--my friends and people at work--that they should come and see it. I really enjoyed it.

"The dancers all look very well trained. I can see ballet training and it's amazing." He said that he enjoyed sharing his thoughts about the show, which he was very glad to have experienced.