Slovakia: VIPs Express Appreciation for the Chinese Spectacular

The performance of the Chinese Spectacular in Slovakia took place on March 9th, 2008, in Bratislava. The newly built Slovak National Theatre was sold out; the organisers even wished it had bigger capacity than the 900 people it held.

Some of the comments from the Slovak VIPs:

Peter Osusky, a medical doctor and Vice-Rector of Comenius University in Bratislava, said that although he had seen Chinese paintings and calligraphy in museums, he had never seen a show such as the Spectacular.

Peter Osusky	Pavel Petrik

"I would say the show is marvelous, I like it very much. I'm someone who is closely connected with, I would say, traditional European culture, but for me this is something new."

Referring to the two acts in the Spectacular that depict the persecution of Falun Gong in China, Osusky said that Truth, Compassion and Tolerance, the principles of Falun Gong, can be of benefit to all humanity.

"Truth, Compassion and Tolerance would be good for all mankind. It's good for Christians, its good for Jews. It's good for everybody and even the Muslims speak about Mohammed as the Compassionate. So if each man in the world would keep to these three sentences, or these three things, I think the world would be OK for Catholics, for Protestants like me, for Jews and for all the people who are sticking to it."
Falun Gong is a meditation practice and spiritual discipline which has been brutally suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party for almost nine years.

"I am a protestant, but I see that all of the three things (Truth, Compassion, Tolerance) that are mentioned there are really worth protecting and we need to fight for them, because if the world would accept these, like the Ten Commandments, it would be a good world to live in."

Another member of the audience, well known Slovak politician Grigorij Meseznikov said, "I enjoyed the show very much and it was also a very good opportunity to learn more about Chinese dance and musical arts. Divine Performing Arts showed professionalism and I find that the values that it presents are universal and they can rectify relations among the nations. These values are creating people who accept human freedom, dignity, honour and sympathy“.

Because of their belief in th spiritual practice Falun Gong, the artists from the Divine Performing Arts can not return to China, because Chinese goverment has persecuted Falun Gong since 1999. Grigorij Mesežnikov said, "In my opinion, any persecution out of spiritual, political and other reasons is unacceptable. It´s incomprehensible how it can be possible, that practising of spiritual method can be so cruelly persecuted. Actually, the Chinese goverment should immediately stop it".

Mr. Pavel Petrik, who is the chairman of the Green political party, couldn’t come to the performance, but he sent a letter to organisers with his encouragement:

The Green Party deeply respects the cultural history of China as a huge benefit to the world culture. We supported an Olympic Torch for Human Rights and added to all of those who deplore violation of human rights by communist China. Now we have the honour toward the people who are still able to keep their identity and the human face.

Performances of Divine Performing Arts, which have a deep spiritual dimension based on traditional Chinese culture, are one of the big hopes for the Chinese people.

I wish you, the Divine Performing Arts and also to all of the Chinese people, that their thoughts about democracy and freedom in their hearts become the reality as soon as possible.“