Shanghai leads way with nocturnal art studies

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The sword dance course, which sold out in only eight seconds, is related to Chinese traditional opera, and the lessons were given by Chen Rongrong, a professional artist from the Shanghai Huaiju Opera Troupe.

Huaiju Opera is popular in Shanghai and Jiangsu and Anhui provinces. Dating to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it found favor in Shanghai in the 1950s. Inspired by folk ballads from regions north of the Yangtze River, Huaiju Opera's roots lie in folk culture, and it is listed as an intangible cultural heritage.

Chen, who started to learn Huaiju Opera in 1998, joined the Shanghai Huaiju Opera Troupe in 2002. Over the past 25 years, she has also learned Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera to improve her performance.

"The sword dance I taught at the night art course included not only traditional movements, but also those that I perfected during my performances," Chen said.

"Most of the participants in the class for the three-month course were aged from 30 to 45, and they share an interest in traditional Chinese opera. They were really happy to have this chance to get close to the art and learn from a professional opera troupe at an affordable price," she said.

Chen hopes the participation of professional performers can lead to more evening art course categories being introduced to better satisfy demand.

"For our performers, promoting Huaiju Opera is one of their lifetime duties. By setting up the night art courses, we are able to cultivate participants' interest in Huaiju Opera, expand our audience, develop new markets, and inject fresh blood into this ancient art form," Chen said.

She also gained much from the sword dance course.

"As a teacher, I won the participants' friendship. The atmosphere in our class is exceptionally good. Sharing a love for opera, the classmates were always united in helping and encouraging each other — even online when someone was absent for business trips," Chen said.

"Seeing their passion, I have become more enthusiastic about passing on the art of Huaiju Opera. I believe that through continuous promotion, more audiences will get to know about the art form, understand it and enjoy it. It is my lifelong mission to attract more people to the theater to listen to Huaiju Opera."