Cantonese opera is one of the most important forms of Chinese opera. It originated in Guangdong Province and is popular across southern China and among Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. But like several other traditional art forms, Cantonese Opera is struggling to attract younger audiences.
Cantonese Opera is considered one of the greatest symbolic art forms in Guangdong Province. China listed it as an intangible cultural heritage item back in 2009.
Jiang Wenduan is one of the best Cantonese Opera actresses in China, she’s been performing for over 20 years. She also gives lessons at colleges in her spare time.
"Professional opera schools and other colleges invite me to give students instruction, and I’m so happy to share my experience with youngsters," Jiang said.
It’s a project called “Cantonese Opera enters schools”. Students are the biggest beneficiaries. Every Wednesday afternoon, opera fans at Xinghai Conservatory Of Music have 2 hours to learn from renowned performers.
Junior student Liang Wanqi is one of them. She took a fancy to Cantonese opera since childhood, and learnt from videos all by herself. After having two lessons, She’s been making progress rapidly. She says without such mechanism, she could not have had a chance to meet the opera masters in face.
"The masters tell me that when we perform, there is no “correct” or “incorrect” act. All that matters is the beauty of art," Liang said.
In Cantonese culture, its unique opera takes center stage. Opera masters, through performances and lessons at colleges, are pinning their hopes on the younger generation to pass on the traditional art form.
China has a lot of operas which had been a major form of entertainment for a long time. But with the emergence and development of modern arts, like pop music and cinema, traditional operas have been on a decline.
In the 1950s, there were over 360 kinds of Chinese operas. Unfortunately, 100 of them disappeared during the following 50 years.
To gradually revive these shrinking art forms, the first thing is to attract more audience, just like what the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Troupe is doing now.
"We do hope more talented young actors will join us, but more importantly, we want to develop younger audience for traditional operas. It’s like sowing a seed in their hearts, it may blossom," said Ding Fan, president of Guangdoong Cantonese Opera Troupe.
Opera troupes are also working on writing new scripts based on contemporary stories, as well as creating modern stage designs as they continue to find a new way for the traditional art to prosper again.
