Invited by ICES, Shanghai Kunju Opera troupe put on a show named ‘We Bring You Closer to Kunju’ on the evening of Oct. 16th, which was especially held for Donghua international students.
The whole performance introduced the Chinese traditional culture ‘Kunju opera’ with lucid and vivid forms. Within the over-1-hour show, cooperating with Chinese and English interpretation, the actors and actresses brought us several classic Kunju opera fragments such as ‘Divergence’, ‘Peony Pavilion’ and ‘Pick Block’, which lively demonstrated the common knowledge of Kunju opera. Some interactions had been specially designed in the performance to engage international students in situations where ancient young people fell in love. Also, the troupe revealed the backstage to introduce the costumes of the Kunju martial players while teaching international students the ancient generals’ cool poses on the opera stage. All the international students actively joined in the games by trying the costumes, trying on facial makeup and intimating martial actions. Both the stage and the audience were bustling with noise and excitement.
Like other international students, Spanish student HARITZ GOROSTIDI MARTINEZ expressed his extreme happiness. “This is my first close contact with the Kunju opera since I came to China. I mean it`s amazing! Actually I have seen Chinese opera performances before, but I didn`t get it at all. Yet this time I got the meaning of the ‘Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou’ and the specialty of the Kunju opera costumes. I am looking forward to more chances to watch the performance like this!”
As one of the participants of the interaction games, ‘the international Li kui’— GUILLERMO ANDRES BUITRAGO LEON from Columbia showed his great enthusiasm in the Kunju opera, “I realize that the Chinese opera is an abstract art where a chair and a table may represent a mountain, and it’s really amazing!”
This event is the first special performance from Shanghai Kunju opera troupe for international students, as well as the second Chinese traditional culture show prepared by ICES, after the first show from Shanghai Beijing opera theatre in March of this year. ICES is now planning more events which reveal more Chinese traditional culture to international students. We hope all the international students could feel the charm of the Chinese culture, and further be lovers and spreaders of the Chinese traditional culture and civilization.
