Polyglot kings of the improv ring

Nathaniel Hobbs (left) and Jack Smith (right) of the Beijing Improv Bilingual Group. [Photos By Wang Zhuangfei / China Daily]

"That's something I hope improv can help with."

Last month the State Council required high schools nationwide to add dancing and drama lessons to the existing curriculum by 2018.

However, creativity and free expression cannot be developed in only one or two courses but are the result of a certain teaching philosophy, members of Beijing Improv Bilingual Group say.

"In school we are so used to there being 'only one correct answer', so on stage people are probably afraid of doing the wrong thing," says Peng Zikang of Beijing.

"After each show or workshop, the Chinese tend to look back and analyze which part was right and which was wrong. I don't see any foreigners do that. Improv is about spontaneity, and they just enjoy it."

Improv has better enabled him to appreciate the diversity of ideas of others, and he has learned to judge himself less critically in daily life, he says.

Beijing Improv Bilingual Group has free workshops every Wednesday evening and a show every second Saturday. Proceeds of performances go towards supporting Hua Dan, a not-for-profit organization that uses theater techniques to empower migrant women and children.

Elken says Beijing improv is a niche interest in that it requires basic levels in both languages and in particular aims to attract, as performers or as audience members, students learning Chinese.

"You don't really practice your Chinese by going to the local grocery. This is the best way to learn a language."

While performing with Beijing Improv Bilingual Group, Zhi Xuxin has set up Born to Improv, a Chinese improv group.

"Performing in English is too hard for many Chinese, but they definitely should get the chance to enjoy improv. It's becoming increasingly popular in China."