Germany: Two Teachers Talk About the Chinese Spectacular

Teacher Claudia Kolitz and her mother Berta Bürger watched the matinee of the Divine Performing Arts show on April 19th. They both frequently attend the theatre and came to the Prinzregenten Theatre in Munich on Saturday, where the troupe from New York staged the last performance of their European Tour. They had learned about the show through a newspaper article.

Claudia Kolitz was very enthusiastic about the Chinese Spectacular. “It was fantastic and I liked it a lot. I don’t know too much about China but I guess the culture was really translated well, in this case. It was easy to understand even for people who haven’t thought about it a lot, especially the back drop. I really can’t say in words how much I liked it. The culture is really different from our European culture, it was just something special.”

The teacher was admiring the troupe’s intention to maintain the Chinese cultural traditions, despite the opposition of the Communist regime. “I really admired them.” Regarding the current international discussions about human rights in preparation of the Olympics she said: “I believe that we shouldn’t boycott the games but people should be better informed.” Claudia Kolitz thought that in addition to the athletes, the fans should also be better informed because they will all travel to China because of their interest in sports and to watch the games. She was referring to the piece called “The power of recognition”. “There were a few state representatives who showed up in black jackets. It was fantastic how the people chased them away in the end. That was really good.”

Her mother, Berta Bürger, also liked the Chinese Spectacular and would recommend it to everyone. “I really have to agree with everything my daughter said. It was really grand.” She personally experienced Chinese culture when she went to China eleven years ago. Berta Bürger has retained many wonderful memories of Chinese culture from her trip. “Those four weeks while I was there, they were so impressive that I still feel sustained by it” she summarised her impression. Although Berta Bürger is by now retired, she used to be a teacher, just like her daughter.

Berta Bürger was especially impressed by the soprano singers whom she found to be very versatile. “Their voices were incomparable and each one was a wonderful experience. I was also impressed by the musician playing the Erhu, a two-stringed instrument. In Europe nothing can compare. I am convinced of it.”