| •Introduction
•About
Chinese Opera
•Traditions
•Characters
•Performance
•Musical
Accompaniment
•Gestures
& Props
•Glossary
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Chinese Opera Teacher's Guide and Curriculum
Performance of Chinese Opera
In Chinese Opera, as the characters enter the stage, they introduce themselves:
who they are, what has happened to them and why theyíre here now. Then
they are free to join the action. Sometimes, it only takes six lines without
musical accompaniment to state name, nature, mood and thoughts.
During the performance, the drummer leads the group of percussionists
in the entry and movement of characters. The drummer also plays the wooden
clappers. The music stops when a character starts speaking, and then starts
again as he or she moves about the stage. A fast tempo announces the entry
of a character. Slower tempi describe their movements across the stage.
Listening activity
You need a recording of Chinese Opera music, for example, An
Introduction to the Chinese Opera.
- Listen
to a selection of Chinese Opera.
- Discuss
with the students the roles that percussion and tempo play in introducing
characters and in tracking their movements across the stage.
- Ask the
children to raise their hand at the point the character begins moving,
(i.e., when the music is heard).
- Compare
the entry music to Western style fanfares.
Introductions Activity (can relate to Language curriculum)
You need pencils and paper. The work is done individually
or in twos or threes.
- Ask the
children to think of a few lines to introduce either an invented character
or themselves, and to write them down.
- For made
up characters, ask them to include the character's name, age, background,
nature, mood and thoughts; plus something that has just happened to
the character and/or something that is about to happen.
- For themselves,
ask them to include their name, age, background (where they live, something
about their family), their favorite / least favorite activities, etc.
- For each
student, have another "declaim" (see glossary) their
work to the class, in the style of an operatic performer to his/her
audience.
"Copy me" tempo changing activity
You need (optional) a drum, a selection of other
percussion instruments
- Sit in
a circle.
- Have the
students practice tapping fingers fast and slow on the floor.
- Choose
a leader. The leader plays a drum, choosing either a fast or slow speed
(tempo). Encourage the leader to speed up and slow down at random.
- Everyone
else observes the leader, copying his/her timing exactly (using fingers
or percussion). The group must listen closely in order to speed up or
slow down as soon as the leader does.
- Change
the leader and repeat the activity.
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It's a good idea to ask for silence and stillness for a short while
before beginning to allow everyone to focus on the leader before
he/she starts drumming.
Explain to the children that the leader in this exercise has a
similar role to that of the Ban Gu (small drum) player in Chinese
Opera. |
Join it up! activity
You need a percussion instrument. In this activity, your students
will work in pairs.
- Pair an
instrumentalist with an actor. The pair works together to make up a
character for the actor and a musical scheme for the percussionist.
- The job
of the musician is to provide a piece of entry music to announce the
character and music to follow the characterís movement across the stage,
based on what the students have already learned about the principles
of character, music and movement in Chinese Opera.
- The actor
introduces her/himself and then the instrumentalist strikes up again
as the actor moves to another part of the stage (clappers, gong, drum).
- Have each
pair perform their pieces to the class. Encourage positive feedback
from the listeners.
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