Many of those who found themselves in Washington DC during Chinese New Year within the past years were lucky enough to attend the Chinese New Year Spectacular, which was held in the Lisner Auditorium of George Washington University. This impressive show is presented by New Tang Dynasty Television, known as NTDTV, a non-profit, independent Chinese TV broadcaster founded by Chinese individuals located outside of China with the aim of introducing Chinese culture and traditions to Western society.
The Chinese New Year Spectacular is performed by Divine Performing Arts, a group of performers dedicated to showcasing China's cultural heritage. With colorful traditional costumes and music, the group breathes life into Chinese legends and fairytales, which are populated by fairies, dragons, maidens and brave heroes. The show both directly celebrates the Chinese New Year and serves to introduce audiences to traditional Chinese culture and artistic expression, using spectacular displays and performances. The traditional dragon dances are executed with amazing choreography, as are all the dance pieces.
Themes present throughout the show include the nature of divinity and the role it plays in human life, the virtues of one's children, good and evil and the nature of truth, among other things. Performances include the fan dance, the Mongolian dance, the Tang Dynasty-style drum, the story of Hua Mulan, the Manchu dance and the lotus flower dance. Besides Washington DC, the show has been performed in a variety of locations in the US, such as Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and even the John F. Kennedy Performing Center. It has also been performed in theaters around the world, due to its level of popularity.
