Art, the best way to convey culture: 'Wing Chun' audience

Video by Lin Jianping

Toronto resident Paul Neophytou has been fascinated by Chinese kung fu for years — a passion first sparked by the father of Bruce Lee. So when the Shenzhen original dance drama "Wing Chun" came to town, he knew it would make the perfect New Year’s gift for himself, his wife, and friends.

Rosemary Stehlik (1st R) and Joan Patch (2nd R) pose with fellow audience members in front of a promotional backdrop for the Shenzhen original dance drama “Wing Chun” at Meridian Hall in Toronto, Canada, after a performance. Photos by Geng Chaoyi

During the interview, quite a few viewers with deep ties to martial arts praised the production’s emotional depth and cultural resonance.

“I’ve seen all the Ip Man movies, and here everything was tied together,” Neophytou said after the show. He pointed to storylines such as a character returning home due to illness: “There was a good flow of emotion.”

A longtime admirer of Chinese culture, from its culinary arts to mastering chopsticks at age 8, Neophytou found the production conveyed a sense of peace that resonated deeply. Though no single show could capture the entirety of Chinese culture, he said, “different types of art forms really bring together the different aspects of culture.”

Performers from "Wing Chun" return to the stage to acknowledge the audience and receive applause after a performance in Toronto, Canada.

For Joan Patch, who has practiced Wing Chun for a year and now studies women’s self-defence, the dancers’ physical storytelling was “very powerful.”

“The depth of emotion captured by the dance, combined with Wing Chun, was amazing. I enjoyed every minute,” she said. “Each of the dancers conveyed their emotion 100%.”

Patch believes the arts offer a unique pathway into any culture. “Arts convey expression, depth of feeling, and tradition.”

Audience members fill the lobby of Meridian Hall in Toronto, Canada, where the Shenzhen original dance drama "Wing Chun" is running a series of performances.

Rosemary Stehlik, a women’s self-defence instructor with 25 years of martial arts experience, including 12 years studying Shaolin kung fu, was especially moved by the scene where masters of five different schools unite on stage.

“The most powerful part was when all the different ‘languages’ of martial arts, like Baguazhang, Tai Chi, and Wing Chun, came together,” Stehlik observed. “You see how they’re unique but connected.”

The moment reminded her of Bruce Lee’s struggle to bring authentic Chinese representation to Hollywood. “You could see that message still reverberating in this performance — the dignity, majesty, strength, and cultural excellence speak for themselves. It breaks through all boundaries.”

She added, “I think people will really be inspired.”

Theatergoers browse "Wing Chun"-themed cultural products in the lobby of Meridian Hall during an intermission in Toronto, Canada.