“Everything, everything is magnificent. The dancing itself, the pirouettes, the costumes, the music, all of it, it’s magnificent,” said Charles Selleger, a former member of the Grand Council of Geneva, and a member of the board of directors for the Geneva University Hospitals. “And I really appreciated the integration of what we see on the screen behind, with the characters in front of us transforming in one direction or another. I found it truly astounding, if you will. And then I really liked what the show tells us about ancient China, about its customs, which I obviously knew nothing about.”
Janine Berberat, a former grand council member with the Canton of Geneva, said, “My only knowledge of China is what I see on TV right now, and it’s not necessarily the best portrayal. But I really like the message of this ancient China, which apparently has great values. And I really appreciated that this show, with the people involved, were quite courageous in coming out and saying that there’s another China, a different one and that we can see it differently. Tonight, I saw China differently; I discovered it.”
“I think it’s mostly the costumes. I find the harmony of colors absolutely magnificent. It’s magical,” said Richard Gignon, a grand council member with the Canton of Neuchâtel. “Because we’re not very used to that kind of thing back home, the gold, the very vibrant colors. And then all the grace, all the grace of the dancers.”
“There is a lot of emotion. [I like] the synchronization. I loved the interplay between the dancers and the screen, and the characters on the screen that interacted with the dancers. Everything was perfectly timed, and it was truly magnificent,” said Céline Henry, an economist.
Ms. Berberat said, “Here’s ancient China, which is a great civilization, but we don’t know it well. And then today it’s communist China, it’s China with a leader that we, living in Switzerland, find a little difficult to appreciate, and tonight, this demonstrates a China that is searching for its roots. Ultimately, you’re asking people to rediscover their roots, to be able to express them, above all.”
Ms. Henry said, “I’m a Christian, and so it really resonated with me. There’s a lot of connection to faith, and to the relationship with the Divine.” She added that “The message is that you must always believe in goodness, and that it is always goodness that wins and brings happiness to the rest of the world. That’s it. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by the world’s misfortunes.”
“Well done for the work. Well done for what you’re showing us!” said Ms. Berberat.
