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Professional schools forChinese opera,known askeban(Chinese:Chính quy;pinyin:kēbān;Wade–Giles:k'o-pan;Jyutping:fo baan), existed in China from theMing dynasty(1368–1644) to the 20th century. Formerly attached to performing troupes, manykebanbecame independent boarding schools by the late 19th century.[1][2]
Today, a few degree-granting, western-style educational institutions specialize in Chinese opera, like theNational Academy of Chinese Theatre ArtsinBeijing[3][4]and theNational Taiwan College of Performing ArtsinTaipei.
Education
editIn learning Peking opera, attending students developed skills inmartial arts,acrobaticsandtumbling,music and dance and performed these skills for audiences. The schools produced a generation ofstunt performers,action choreographers,actorsandfilm directorsincluding some of the most famous stars ofHong Kong action cinema.Public interest in Peking Opera waned in the late 1960s[5]and during the Cultural Revolution most of the schools were closed.
Historically, pupils had been handpicked at a young age by a teacher (orsifu) and trained for a period of seven to ten years, on contract from their parents. As the teacher provided food and accommodation for the pupils during this period, they accrued a debt to the teacher that was later repaid through performance earnings. After 1911, training took place in more formally organised schools. Typically, students at these schools rose at five o'clock in the morning for exercises. The daytime would be spent learning the skills of acting and combat, and the senior students would perform in outside theatres in the evenings.Corporal punishmentwas commonplace and it was not uncommon for the entire group to be beaten with bamboo canes if one student made a mistake during a performance. Schools with less harsh training methods began to appear in 1930, but all schools were closed down in 1931 after the Japanese invasion. The modern schools, such as theChina Drama Academyand the Spring and Autumn Drama School opened after the war, in around 1952.[6]
Notable schools
editTheChina Drama Academywas aPeking operaschool in Hong Kong, run byYu Jim-yuen.Attendees includedJackie Chan,Sammo Hung,Yuen Biao,Yuen Wah,Yuen QiuandCorey Yuen.
The Spring and Autumn Drama School was another Peking opera school in Hong Kong, and was to some extent the China Drama Academy's "rival". It was run byMadame Fan Fok-Fa,who had been China's first female martial arts actress.[citation needed]The school also produced a number of stunt performers and actors, most notablyLam Ching Ying,Josephine SiaoandHsiao Houof Shaw Brothers fame.Marswent on to become a member of theJackie Chan Stunt Team(Sing Ga Ban) and several others became members ofHung Ga Ban,Sammo Hung's stunt team. Other notable students includedChin Kar-lok,Chung Fat,John Lone,andConnie Chan Po-chu.
A similar school inTaipei,Taiwan was attended by another group of people who subsequently worked in theHong Kong film industry.It was known as the Fu Sheng (Fu Xing Ju Xiao) or Lu Kwan Peking Opera school. Although still called a Peking Opera school, students actually learned Taiwanese opera, sung inHokkiendialect rather than Mandarin.[7]
References
edit- ^Goldstein, Joshua (2007).Drama Kings: Players and Publics in the Re-creation of Peking Opera, 1870–1937.University of California Press.p. 32.ISBN978-0-520-24752-9.
- ^Mackerras, Colin P.(1972).The Rise of the Peking Opera, 1770-1870: Social Aspects of the Theatre in Manchu China.Clarendon Press.p. 148.
- ^"Beijing Opera".National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts.Retrieved28 April2021.
- ^"Performing Arts (local operas)".National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts.Retrieved28 April2021.
- ^"The Cinema of Jackie Chan".Kamera.co.uk.Retrieved2009-05-20.
- ^Halson, Elizabeth (1966).Peking Opera: A Short Guide.Hong Kong: Oxford University Press. p. 8.
- ^"Kuo Chui Interview by Toby Russell from Eastern Heroes Special Edition #5".Chang Cheh: The Godfather of the Kung Fu Film.Retrieved2009-05-20.