The Comment Factory

During the Christmas break, I volunteered as a reporter for a Chinese media outlet. I expected to improve my writing and translation skills, but got much more than that. While reporting on Divine Performing Arts (DPA), a New York-based Chinese arts group’s 2009 world tour, I got to see their show three times, and as a Chinese I learned, surprisingly, a lot about Chinese culture form it.

DPA has three companies performing simultaneously in over 80 cities in four continents this year. They are holding over 30 shows in Taiwan, and within the first four days of ticket sales there, 20,000 tickets were gone. The Taiwanese government is recommending teachers to see the show to get inspiration for moral education in schools. Some cities are going as far as giving the teachers holidays to see the show and counting it as part of their extended education.

The show begins with the sounding of a gong. With that, the Divine Performing Arts Orchestra, which is the first and only orchestra in the world that integrates both Chinese and Western instruments, starts performing. The curtain rises shortly after, and with the aid of the breathtaking backdrop, the dancers tell the story of how, as legend goes, Gods and Buddhas descended from heaven to earth to become the Yellow Emperor and his royal court, inaugurating China’s 5,000 years of culture. The dance and music that follows conveys meaningful messages of Chinese thought, displays the culture in different parts of China, tells historical stories, and most impressively gives an account of the current human rights situation in China.

After seeing the performance, some Westerners who previously associated Chinese people with Communism realized that China is actually different from the Chinese government, and that Chinese people are actually very kind and giving. Ms. Blank, an audience member I interviewed said that at first she was reserved about supporting the DPA because she had heard a lot about the oppression in China, but soon she realized that the production comes from the hearts of the performers, not the Chinese Communist Party. She was deeply touched and said that the show planted in her a wish to learn more about Chinese history.

Computer programmer Mr. Siemon had similar opinions. “It was interesting to see that a lot of those Disney stories originated out of China,” he said, referring to the dance about Mulan going to war in place of her father.

Ms. Sarrau, who works in marketing, realized from the performance that ancient Chinese culture is very rich. She expressed that the show made her admire Chinese people. “I think you guys are very traditional, and you keep the traditions for centuries.”

But it is not just about Chinese culture. The show is about conveying universal themes through Chinese culture. “It makes me think of the world as not so big,” said Ms. Rayis, who brought her daughter to the show. The little girl shyly told me that she like the dance Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution the most.

Another onlooker, Ms. Montanec, said, “Every single movement that [the dancers] made delivers an emotional feeling within… every single movement had a message.” She concluded, “The performance was divine, just like the name.”

DPA will be coming to Ohio again during Spring break. It will be performed in Columbus’ Ohio Theater on March 8th, and I am excited to see it again, to learn more about my culture from this entertaining experience, and to reach the world through it.