Capturing Berlin's Audience with a Gentle Storm
Berlin's Chinese New Year Spectacular is a "complete success"
By Alexander Hamrle/Epoch Times German Staff
Feb 27, 2007
"I was captivated! The Spectacular managed to link elements from the Chinese culture with more serious issues, such as the human rights in today's China. I liked the most the [Mongolian] Bowl Dance," said Frank Selbmann, an attorney from Leipzig.
The reporter asked, "You are well aware of the human rights issue and Falun Gong in China! What did you think about the program's inclusion of the Falun Gong issue?"
"That was done excellently—to address this issue in a cultural format was highly successful," Selbmann answered.
"This was a very special and ethereal show. I was very moved!" said Alfredo Fafa from Turin, Italy. He came especially to Berlin to see the show.
"My favorite was the Candlelight dance. I don't like if something is out of the ordinary. This dance reminded me of my ancestors. It touched something deep within the person and had inner content. The Mongolian Bowl Dance was also very realistic," said Bernd Heiland, from the Hochschule fuer Film und Fernsehen Potsdam (Pottsdam Film and Television Academy.)
"Colorful! That's what I liked the best! I only am familiar with the Beijing Opera. This was completely different," said Kurt Arndt and his wife Rosemarie Arndt from Berlin.
The President of New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) in Germany, Song Wu, the television station that hosted the Spectacular, shared that the almost sold-out Spectacular show was in his view an indication of "great success." He believed that the performers achieved what they had set out to do, "to provide the Germans a true picture of Chinese culture," without the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence.
The New Year Spectacular is portrayed as "A voyage of discovering Chinese culture and China's 5000 year history." The program included the dance "Forsythia in Spring," which represents rebirth in the form of yellow flowers; a dramatic piece about the famous Chinese general, Yue Fei, who imprinted in people's minds the concept of loyalty in 12th century China; and the Mongolian bowl dance, during which the dancers balanced porcelain bowls on their heads while moving with graceful and rhythmic shoulder movements.
The Chinese New Year Spectacular was performed in Berlin's ICC hall 1 on Feb. 27 and 28 as part of the troupe's world tour.
Around 150 performers, mostly Chinese people who grew up outside of Mainland China, performed for two hours and thirty minutes. One of the performers is Guan Guimin, one of China's most celebrated tenors of recent decades, who is also known as the "King of Tenors" in China.
NTDTV stated that one of its missions is to bring to Western audiences the Chinese New Year through traditional, original and spiritual culture, as well as to bring elements of Western culture to Chinese people.
Feb. 18, 2007 was the first day in the Chinese Year of the Boar that is claimed to herald happiness, wealth and fertility.
Since the first performance on Jan. 3 in Vancouver, Canada, the NTDTV Global Chinese New Year Spectacular in Berlin was the 15th stop for the performing troop. Since the first performance, the performers have visited four continents.
The next performance will be in Chicago. A total of 70 performances in 28 cities in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America are on the agenda.
The Epoch Times is proud to join with NTDTV as media partner of the Global Chinese New Year Spectacular, and provides its readers an exclusive view of a unique cultural experience.
The Epoch Times wishes its readers a Happy New Year in the Year of the Boar!