Art form widens its reach, sends cultural message

Talent cultivation

Academic institutions in Anqing also attach great importance to cultivating Huangpei Opera professionals. In 1958, the precursor of the Anhui Huangmei Opera Art Vocational College was established, and gradually became one of the most important training bases for performers in the area.

Yu Wenbing, 31, a performer at Anqing Huangmei Opera Theatre who graduated from the college, said that during his four years at the school he acquired the basic skills a player needs, such as singing, reciting, acting and performing martial arts.

"In performing, the most important thing is the basic skills you master in the early stages of learning, which paves the way for your career. For example, if you play the role of a man in his fifties, how should you walk? Such techniques are taught at college," Yu said.

However, mastering the basic skills is never easy. Students are strictly trained at the school, and Yu said he had to get up at 5:30 every morning to practice. One time, he fell while trying to perform a back flip, which left blood dripping from his nose.

After graduating, Yu was recruited by an artistic troupe at the college, and played the lead role in an important production when he was 18.When this troupe broke up, he joined Anqing Huangmei Opera Theatre to continue his performances.

In 2016, after working as a professional performer for several years, Yu was admitted to the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts to learn Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, two major types of traditional opera in China.

"Huangmei Opera is a relatively new form of opera, and it includes many other genres such as Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera. By learning these, I can better improve my Huangmei Opera skills," Yu said.

Zhang Yin, a teacher at Anhui Huangmei Opera Art Vocational College, said more than 80 percent of the performers in professional Huangmei Opera troupes in China graduate from this school. Many troupes entrust the college to cultivate performers for them, and recruit the students after they graduate.

Such talent is also nurtured at Anqing Normal University's School of Huangmei Opera.

Wang Chenchen, 22, who graduated from the university in 2019 after studying Huangmei Opera, and is now a performer at the Zaifen Huangmei Opera Theatre in Anqing, said she not only learned the basic operatic skills at the university, but also developed the passion to pursue artistic ambitions. The Huangmei Opera troupe is named after the acclaimed performer Han Zaifen.

"Many teachers at the university are veteran performers, who tell us they are determined to continue their careers. This is really encouraging, as it's very difficult to become a good performer, which requires you to improve your skills and the way in which you think," Wang said.

"Learning a new play is always difficult and time-consuming, and I also get injured from time to time. But at such moments, I think of my predecessors who experienced similar setbacks but persisted, and feel that I can follow in their footsteps."

Liu Guoping, a veteran performer and deputy director of Anqing Normal University's School of Huangmei Opera, said it now offers undergraduates two majors in Huangmei Opera, with the aim of cultivating players and theatrical studies to nurture the genre.

He added that the school also hopes to attract more people who can play musical instruments well for the art form.

Students are offered the opportunity to work as interns at Zaifen Huangmei Opera Theatre in Anqing. In 2020, the school signed an agreement with the theater to make it an education and rehearsal base for its students.

The students learn from professionals, join in creating and rehearsing operas, perform at the theater, and polish their skills to professional standards.

"Students must learn from practicing. This theater offers them a very good platform so that they can play a part in major performances and show their skills on the stage," Liu Guoping said.

Wang got the chance to work at the theater when she was a sophomore, and was recruited by it when she graduated. She said the theater insists that everyone be given the chance to play a main character in an important production, and offers many opportunities for young performers to do so.

In the past, performers often played minor roles for many years without being given the chance to play a lead character, but this situation has changed.

Liu Guoping said: "At the end of the day, opera is an art form about stars. An audience likes a particular star and wants to pay to see him or her perform. Under such circumstances, promoting new faces has sometimes been difficult, but it's still important to do this, as young inheritors of this art form are vital for its development."

Wang now performs at least five times every week — often in other cities in China with her colleagues. Although she is extremely busy, she greatly enjoys her work.

"A performer is very happy to be active on the stage. The fact that we continue to have performances is evidence that our audiences enjoy traditional culture. This makes me even happier," Wang said.

She was attracted to the art form in her childhood, when the performances she saw left a deep impression on her. Now, she has the responsibility for developing it and passing it on to future generations.

"Huangmei Opera is a relatively young type of opera. As a young actress, I want to grow as it develops," Wang added.

Contact the writers at xingwen@chinadaily.com.cn