Those conventions included complex but standardized face painting that essentially writes the personality of the character on the actor’s face” (Ngai / Lovrick, Preface). In Chinese Opera they try to convey these things through “stage conventions immediately understandable to the audience. ![]() It also differs from what we would think of as opera where the scenes and sets are changed, where there are props, different lighting and costume changes. Chinese Opera combines music with speaking between actors, dancing, poetry, some singing and acrobatics. There is music from the beginning to the end of the entire show. When we use the term “opera” most of us imagine a play that is sung in its entirety and acting accompanies the singing. This creates a completely dynamic art form, unique to China. They all have distinct differences such as with the costumes, singing practices, topics and even the types of roles men and women play which vary by form and region. All of these include similarities in the types of performance such as artistic elements like martial arts, acting, acrobatics and of course singing and music. ![]() There are different forms of Chinese Opera, which include Bejing, Cantonese, Huang Mei Song and Sichuan Opera. Once an art form for only the highly educated, various regional forms of opera have arisen which in turn made opera available to the masses. ![]() Changes and variations have taken place through the years and Chinese Opera has spread throughout the country, reaching broader more diverse audiences. It was quite popular in the Qing Dynasty Court where tea-houses would often also serve as a theatre. Chinese Opera has been around for generations, dating back to the eleventh century.
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