This was such an incredibly cool tour organized by the Shanghai Expat Association (SEA). The tour was described this way:
On this very popular trip we will see the beautiful costumes and colorful make-up of the Chinese Opera. We will see the performers doing their daily training as well as a show which involves acrobatics, fighting matches, martial arts and singing.
Essentially, the Shanghai Opera School is a specialized arts school for high school students who will become performers in Chinese operas. The hours are long and the work is physically demanding. In addition to their artistic training, the students must attend regular high school academic classes.
The tour did not disappoint. I was fascinated from beginning to end. O.K., maybe not right to the bitter end. I was guilty of dozing off during the lengthy student showcase.
Behind the scenes at the Shanghai Opera School...
Make-up
A finished face
Tools of the trade
Videos of an actor being made up.
I know. My video shooting needs some work, but hey! Remember when I first started this blog and had challenges with regular photos? Yes, I've learnt a lot and you all have been very patient with me. The learning curve continues its slow ascent....
Hair ornaments
Hair pieces
Adding some finishing touches
I told this fellow he looked like a panda.
His character was not a panda, but a warrior.
My bad.
Make-up and basic costume completed,
time for the head piece.
Love the huge pom-pom
(I'm sure that's the technical name.)
Done
Pre-performance stretching while waiting to have his head piece put on.
This actor had to submit to a more elaborate process.
First, a cap...
...which is tied on so tightly...
... it gives the actor a headache.
Our guide can be seen in the background demonstrating the force used.
Apparently, the cap needs to be tied on like this because the actors are so active during the show and they don't want their head pieces flying off. After watching the performance, I could understand the legitimacy of this concern.
Again, love the pom-pom!
Second, the hat is attached.
Another angle.
This shot looks foggy because it was actually a reflection in the mirror.
At last, the small dressing room was almost empty.
More head pieces, more pom-poms.
I couldn't resist...
Look out opera houses of China, here I come!
You can tell I was really trying hard to get this shot.
I need to practice my mirror photography.
Now on to the performance!
Our guide explained the first piece which was about two enemy warriors sharing the same small, pitch-dark room in a country inn. The first warrior is asleep when the second comes in. The first warrior wakes up. They both realize someone else is in the room with them and try to attack before they themselves are attacked.
Hilarity and acrobatics ensue.
If you scroll down really fast, you can achieve that movie effect.
Students watching their classmates.
We watched a second piece put on by the students. This one was the story of two warring gods...yeah, sure, that's it...and they were fighting over...property...yeah...and they had their soldiers helping them out...yeah, that's the story...
Forgotten plots, another pitfall of waiting too long to post on my blog.
Anyway, it was a fascinating performance. Scroll fast!
There you have it. The most exotic student rehearsal I have ever seen.
If you ever have the chance to attend a Chinese opera, go.
