'Absolutely Magical': Audience Responds to 'Holiday Wonders'
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By Joseph Regis and James Fish
Epoch Times Florida Staff
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Jan 02, 2008 |
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA—Audience members at the St. Petersburg Holiday Wonders show gave glowing reviews of this presentation of classical Chinese culture through music and dance.
Crystal Fogerty and Valentino Pine came together. Crystal Fogerty said, "It's absolutely magical!" Valentino Pine added, "It's excellent; its quite spectacular! The fan dance was beautiful."
Polly Wagner came from Spring Hill, Florida with a group of ten friends. She enthused, "I loved it; it was fabulous. The dancers were so graceful."
Young and Cynthia, two young ladies from Tampa, FL, said, "I loved it. Yeah, we were just talking about it. The drums—they were so powerful! The dance is so pretty. The costumes were so beautiful. I loved it. The drums were my favorite. Actually, I play the drums; that's why I came to the show."
St. Petersburg Immigration Attorney Ellen Gorman-Martinez came to the show with her husband Chris Martinez.
Chris described the show as "a very interesting synthesis of Western music and Eastern culture. I liked the drums and the concept of filial piety and the picture of Buddhism and Taoism."
Ellen said, "The whole performance was very beautiful. The acting and the dancing were all very dramatic. I liked the two dances that brought in the Falun Gong and the message to keep fighting and persevere."
Stephen Lee from Fort Myers found out about it through friends. "It was excellent. The choreography was brilliant, and the performers were extremely entertaining." Stephen said that his favorite act was a dance depicting Falun Gong practitioners maintaining their faith despite physical abuse.
Maritza and Hugo Fernandez came form the neighboring city of St. Petersburg Beach to see the show. Hugo told a reporter, "I think it was fantastic. Really, I enjoyed it very much. Also, I got the message that there are a number of people that are persecuted in China, like the Falun Dafa." His favorite act was also the dance depicting Falun Gong practitioners persevering in the face of vicious persecution.
The run of Holiday Wonders has finished in the United States. The Divine Performing Arts company is now touring the country presenting the Chinese New Year Spectacular show and, in New York City, the Chinese New Year Splendor. For schedules and ticket information, please visit http://www.chinesesplendor.com/
