Sweden: Theatre Packed for the Second Show of the Chinese Spectacular

The second show of the Chinese Spectacular in Sweden was held at Cirkus Theatre on March 24. The theatre was packed, and warm applause for the artists erupted frequently.

The theatre was packed

Jan Juhansson is a computer scientist. He said, "The performances are outstanding. It is wise to express a clear topic through dance. I enjoyed the show. The dances and music are wonderful."

Mr. Juhansson plays the flute and is a big fan of classical music. He said, "The Erhu solo was unique. The music itself was beautiful and the musician is very professional and skillful." He said he wanted to have a close look at the orchestra, which he felt combined Chinese and Western music perfectly.

He had high praise for the dances, saying, "The dancers wonderfully expressed modern life through traditional dances." He said he didn't know very much about Chinese dance, but they were well accepted and appreciated by the Westerners.

Kathleen Quinlan Zetterberg is a famous Swedish dancer. Her mother, Isadora Duncan, was a also famous dancer. Kathleen has been a professional classical dancer for 30 years. Her late husband, Jan Zetterberg, was the founder of the Stockholm Dance School, and she is the current president of the school.

After watching the show, Ms. Zetterberg offered sincere praise."I had never seen Chinese dance before. The movements were beautiful and what the actors tried to express was so pure. I could sense the 'truth' in the dances. That is so important."

Kathleen Quinlan Zetterberg (right); her daughter, Lilly Zetterberg (middle); and her daughter's friend, Emilie Borg

Ms. Zetterberg has performed in numerous shows. She said, "I noticed another special thing about this show. The audience was completely into it. They really liked it. That doesn't happen very often in Sweden. The show changed the Swedish audience. Their hearts were drawn in by the show. Probably many people had been waiting for it for a long time, so they really cherished this chance. I was touched, too."

Her daughter, Lili Zetterberg, is a student at the Swedish Royal Ballet School. She said, "The show is exciting and beautiful. I like the songs. I would like it even without the translation. The show was beautiful, a true Chinese wonder. It was really enjoyable to watch."

Shiyao, a 20-year-old Chinese man, attended the show. He attends a Swedish high school. His mother recommended the show to him. At first, he was not interested, because he thought the show would be like those in China. But to his surprise, the show was very different than he had expected, and he was amazed.

Shiyao

During the intermission, Shiyao excitedly told reporter, "This show is excellent. It is definitely different than the ones in China. It truly demonstrated Chinese culture. You cannot see such a show in China." He was surprised to see the Erhu solo in Sweden. "I didn't expect to enjoy such an excellent Erhu solo in Sweden. I liked the drum dances, too. I will recommend this show to my teachers and friends. I will also call my friends in China, telling them about this show."

He also liked the hosts of the show. "They are humorous. The American host can speak perfect Chinese, and the Chinese woman spoke fluent Swedish. It was amazing," he said.