Professor Cyril Dabydeen is an English professor at the University of Ottawa, as well as a poet, writer, and former judging committee member for Canada's Governor's General Award for Literature. Professor Dabydeen accepted an interview on January 12th, 2007 after the NTDTV Chinese New Year Spectacular performance at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
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| Professor Dabydeen said that NTD TV's spectacular was one the best shows he has ever seen |
One of Best Shows at the National Arts Centre
Professor Dabydeen said during the interview after the Spectacular that it was one of the best shows he has ever seen at the National Arts Centre. He said that it was fabulous. The dancing was gorgeous and the sopranos were also great. He really appreciated the show.
Professor Dabydeen said that every performance was unique and it was hard to say which one was best. He felt that the show was fantastic due to the organisers, composers and directors who are really amazing.
The Professor said that although he has been studying Chinese history for many years, he still learned more about the Chinese culture from the Spectacular. He said that traditional Chinese culture is awe-inspiring.
As a former judging committee member for the Canada Governor's General Award for Literature, Professor Dabydeen said that people talk about the multiple-characteristics of dancing and singing, but it is not usually profound. He said that the Spectacular's performances accomplished true artistic greatness.
Understanding the Great Tradition and a Higher Realm from the Spectacular
Professor Dabydeen has previously studied modern Chinese history. He said the Spectacular helped him to understand more about the Chinese tradition. He thought that the outstanding dancing at the show manifested the peace and harmony of the Chinese legends and traditional culture. The Professor said that in Canada people learned what has been happening to Falun Gong practitioners in China, but through the pure art, people can have a better understanding of it and feel it as though they were in that situation.
Professor Dabydeen said that the essence of the Chinese culture is pursuing the truth. The songs at the Spectacular emphasised the pursuit of morality, truth and compassion. He said that he learned a lot from the show and the performance helped him to feel the harmony, the pursuit of truth, the experiences of being in heaven and the compassion of human spirits.
The Professor also said that Chinese traditional culture is great, spanning dozens of dynasties and thousands of years. In comparison, Western culture is still in the developing phase. He said that the Spectacular made people think about the Eastern culture and broadened people's imagination of a different world. The spectacular helped people to have better understandings of Chinese culture, which is profound, beautiful, divine and pure.
All Canadians Should Come to Appreciate this Kind of Art
Professor Dabydeen said that all Canadians, not just Chinese people, should come to appreciate this kind of art, because people will then have more respect for Chinese people in Canada. There are 13 million Chinese people living outside of China and many of them are in Canada. There are two large Chinatowns in North America. One is in Toronto and the other one is in New York. The Professor said that when you can appreciate the Spectacular, you will understand the great tradition. He said that Chinese people are not ordinary, because they possess such precious and great culture.
The Professor said that he would come to the spectacular next year. He believes that the show enriches the culture in Ottawa and makes Ottawa no longer an ordinary capital but one of the top cultural cities in the world. He thanked NTDTV for the show.
Brief Introduction to Cyril Dabydeen
Professor Dabydeen started writing poems since the 1960's. In 1964, he won the first award in poem writing. In 2000, he served on the judging committee for the Canada Governor's General Award for Literature, and he won the Archibald Lampman Award for Poem Writing four times. He is currently an English professor at the University of Ottawa.
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