(Clearwisdom.net) The audience gave Divine Performing Arts a passionate reception on a frigid night as the Chinese New Year Spectacular played to an appreciative crowd on opening night at the Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis. Many renowned scholars, litterateurs, and artists expressed their amazement at the sheer perfection that has turned DPA into a new cultural icon and pioneer.
In a statement, Richard C. Kagan, Professor Emeritus of History at Hamline University said the celebration of Chinese culture "reminds us of the beauty and attraction of China's history. Many of us were drawn to the literature, theater, and heroes of China because they reflected universal values of human achievement and creativity. The 20th century revealed a collapse of these values because of war and destructive nationalism. Enjoy the show today. It revives and reflects the aesthetic experience that made China a wondrous civilization."

Richard C. Kagan, Professor Emeritus of History at Hamline University

Professor Kagan said during intermission, "It's a wonderful show. I've been enjoying it very much. I really like the emphasis on the Tang dynasty, on Chinese traditions and culture. It's a very aesthetic presentation."

Reflecting on his long-time affinity for Chinese culture, Mr. Kagan continued, "That's why I got involved with Chinese history 50 years ago, because I really love Chinese culture. But in recent times, Chinese culture has been transformed into something highly nationalistic and not at all the aesthetic values that you see here today...What I learned tonight were the real lessons of Chinese culture, and how much I enjoy it."

Also impressive to him was the incredible diversity, "The program is really wonderful because it gives many different views about what Chinese history is about. It's not just one view, it shows the tremendous aesthetic [values] of the Chinese people in terms of their various forms of dance. It also shows how much they love their history and how much these traditions still have meaning for them now as it did then." According to professor Kagan, the skillfulness of the performers and the ingenious 3-D backdrop were unforgettable, "'The Monkey King Triumphs' is wonderful, the drumming is something that anybody can enjoy and appreciate, and the use of modern technology is fantastic with the screen bringing the figures up to the heavens and coming down again."

Drawing from his knowledge as a professor of history, Mr. Kagan made the following insightful comments, "In the drumming and the drumming scene, there is so much elasticity [because of] people beating the drums in different ways, [and] it really reminded me of traditional China that you don't see very much [nowadays]. You usually see drumming in terms of Korea or Japan, and I think it's wonderful, the show and the drumming. It originally came from China, or at least had a great influence from China, and it spread into the rest of Asia."

Divine Performing Arts (DPA) is the world's premier Chinese dance and music company. Based in New York, it is a remarkable collaboration of leading dancers, musicians, and choreographers from around the world. The DPA's rich repertoire revives the authentic, 5,000-year-old artistic traditions of China, presenting its true cultural heritage as a gift to the world.