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Holiday Show Spotlights Chinese Wonders

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By KEVIN WALKER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 26, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - ST. PETERSBURG - David W. Lee grew up in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China. But he didn't learn much about his country's culture until moving to America in 1988 to attend Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg.

"Everyone knows about dumplings on New Year's and firecrackers, but those are just superficial aspects of Chinese culture," said Lee, now a practicing attorney with a law office in St. Petersburg. "China has 5,000 years of tradition and folklore, and many people have never heard about it."

Lee is so excited about that culture — and sharing it with his fellow Americans — that he established the New Times Culture and Education Center, which vows to "promote genuine Chinese culture through education."

One of those ways is to volunteer his free time to promote "Holiday Wonders," a new production by New Tang Dynasty Television coming to Mahaffey Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts on Saturday and Sunday. The critically acclaimed show focuses on Chinese culture, such as costumes and dance from ancient times. It also incorporates new technology, with the performers onstage in front of digital images projected on huge backdrops.

"It is a celebration of true Chinese culture after 50 years of eradication," said Lee.

He and Sherwood Liu, another Chinese immigrant who works with the nonprofit New Times Culture and Education Center, spoke recently about the shows, which are being hosted by the St. Petersburg center.

As Lui noted, the "50 years of eradication" is a reference to "the cultural revolution that started in our country 50 years ago." It was actually in 1949 — 58 years ago — when the People's Republic of China was formed, led by Mao Tse-tung. It was in the 1960s that Mao launched the "great proletarian cultural revolution" to consolidate his power, a move that led to sweeping social, economic and cultural changes in China.

One of the Communist Party's slogans at the time was "Smash the old world/establish a new world," and that meant leaving behind not only all aspects of religion but also ancient customs and traditions tied to Chinese folklore.

Attempting to educate themselves and their fellow Americans about Chinese culture puts the two men in step with the producers of "Holiday Wonders." Choreographer Yung Yung Tsuai, in a prepared statement, said: "Much of China's rich traditional culture has been destroyed. People have lost their roots. Our performers want wholeheartedly to convey their culture and traditions to the audience to remind them, and themselves, of who the Chinese are."

Tsuai worked on "Chinese New Year Spectacular," which, like "Holiday Wonders," features traditional Chinese dance and music as well as a dash of Western ballet. Both are productions of New Tang Dynasty Television, a Chinese global broadcasting network headquartered in New York City. Part of the network's mission is to bring traditional Eastern culture to the West.

"Holiday Wonders" will be performed by Divine Performing Arts, which includes singers, dancers and musicians. The show, as in all Divine Performing Arts shows, will center on classical themes and "divinely inspired cultural traditions." The Washington Post wrote that the show is "plucked from ancient Chinese history and fables" and "weaves traditional martial arts with music and dance."

The program draws on traditions from China's "Golden Age" during the Tang Dynasty (roughly the seventh to the 10th century) in which Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism were practiced and there was an explosion in science and the arts. The show also promises to draw on "China's 5,000 years of legends and culture."

That's great news for Lee and Lui.

"This show is a great opportunity for people to find out about real Chinese culture," said Lee. "The show, the dancing, the music, they all are influenced by the true Chinese culture."

ON STAGE

Holiday Wonders

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

WHERE: Mahaffey Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts, 400 First S. S., St. Petersburg

TICKETS: $30 to $67

Reporter Kevin Walker can be reached at (813) 259-7975 or kwalker@tampatrib.com.

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