Beijing Opera - History and Characters

The Beijing Opera, with its distinctive Chinese opera masks, is one of China's most recognizable cultural icons. Combining Music, Dance, Theatre, and Martial Arts, it has existed for over 200 years portraying Historical Events and Literature with beauty, style, and dynamic performance. It is most prominent in Beijing, but almost every Province in China has some form of Opera theatre. With its elaborate costuming, complex musical orchestrations and seemingly limitless Make-up and Mask designs, the Beijing Opera is seeing revitalization in popularity with both young and mature audiences.

What is now called the Beijing Opera originally came from a combination of several sources. In about 1790, four great theatre troupes from Anhui came to perform for the Royal Family. They brought arias and melodies called Xi Pi. Around 1828, performers from Hubei came to the same area and staged combined shows adding their local pieces of music called Er Huang. These performances were for the Royals but soon were to become more mainstream during Emperor Qianlong's reign as well as support from the notorious Empress Dowager Ci Xi. During this time, thousands of pieces of repertoire were developed covering the historical events, classic novels and stories of China as well as revisions of Western stories.

There are four basic categories of characters in the Beijing Opera style.

SHENG- The main Male actors in a performance. Either civil or military, there are several different aspects of training for the various lead male parts.

i. LAO SHENG- Senior Male roles, middle aged man with beard of black, grey or white. A soft or pleasant voice with dignity.

ii. XIAO SHENG- Junior male role or young man. No beard and a high sometimes shrill voice that may, on occasion, crack denoting immaturity and adolescence.

iii. WU SHENG- Acrobatic male roles or roles that require much activity. Military plays or civil plays that demand high standards of acrobatics. Performs the stylized martial arts fight scenes with sword or spear. Not usually trained as opera singer.

iv. WAWA SHENG- Kids and children roles. DAN- Female roles of several categories.

i. QING YI ( Ch'ing I)- Lady of good character. Quiet gentle disposition. Graceful flowing movements in "water sleeves" costume. Elegant but not vivid. Singing voice is high pitched.

ii. HUA DAN ( Hua Tan)- Flirtatious young girl role. Usually not as high a social standing as Qing

Yi. Coy and quick movements. A very difficult part to play. Attractive eye movements and continually changing facial expression. Vivid costume featuring handkerchief to flutter in her hand. Strong voice but more speaking than singing.

iii. GUI MEN DAN (Kuei Men Tan) - Young unmarried girl. This role may turn into Qing Yi or Hua Dan. Mischievous but not as much as Hua Dan. Immature reactions and movements.

iv. DAO MA DAN (Tao Ma Tan) - Female Warrior role. Trained for acting and singing but
performs highly skillful martial movements often with feathered headdress. Still a very feminine role. The now famous role of Disney's "MULAN" was based on Hua Mulan who disguised herself as a man to prevent her father from being conscripted into the military. She served for 12 years during the SouthNorth Dynasty and was decorated as a national hero.

v. WU DAN (Wu Tan) - Female Acrobatic roles. Steps in on any role that requires high acrobatic ability. Purely an acrobat but role can demand a talented actress to make for a successful performance.

vi. CAI DAN (Cai Tan) - Female Comedians. Serves to add relief to stressful scenes in serious plays. See also CHOU roles.

JING- Painted face male roles. These parts are known more for courage and resourcefulness than for scholarly intelligence. Often a high-ranking general or warrior/official. Jing actors are usually extroverts. A robust, sometimes gruff, bass voice. Full of swagger and self-assurance. There are many common color schemes associated with Jing roles but some of the more common are easily recognizable.

v Red- Good character and virtuous person.

v White- Treacherous and guile

v Green-Lack of self-control, rash, stubbornness

v Black- Brusque character

v Blue- Wild perhaps a Robber

v Gold/Silver- Used only for Gods and Spirits

The facial painting patterns also give information about a character. There are hundreds of patterns and designs for many situations and roles.

There are 3 main types of Jing roles:

i. DONG-CHUI- (T'ung Ch'uei) Also know as Hei Tou (Black Face) this role is a good singer and usually a loyal General

ii. JIA ZI- (Chia Tze) - A very good actor for more complicated characters.

iii. WU JING- Fighting and acrobatics. Seldom plays a prominent role.

CHOU- Comedy Roles. Dim but likable and amusing characters. Sometimes slightly wicked perhaps a rascal or a scholar/Prince who would not command much respect. There are two basic types of Chou roles:

i. WEN CHOU- Civilian roles.( Jailer, servant, merchant, scholar)

ii. WU CHOU- Minor Military roles but skilled in acrobatics

Of special mention should be the popular role of SUN WU KONG -The Monkey King.

This is a famous story of a Monks journey from China to India to collect scriptures to bring back to China... He is usually accompanied by a Pig for comedic effect, a not-so-learned monk to mediate the many quarrels and the Monkey King. This is played by a Wu Sheng actor. Known for the bent knees and an arms forward stance that imitate monkey movements. He has mastered Longevity, the 72 transformations of his physical body and can do somersaults in the clouds. Sun Wu Kong is followed by a troupe of monkeys who behave in the same manner but have individual personalities (greedy, naughty, sleepy, etc.). The Monkey King continues to be one of the most popular story lines in all of Chinese Opera Theatre.

The Opera Theatre form suffered during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) when all traditional pieces were banned. New versions became stories concerning "Class Struggle". The "Eight Model Plays" were a very popular theme, as were stories concerning Communist Activities, Anti-Japan sentiment, and the Civil War against Nationalists. The traditional stories were allowed to be shown in 1978 but by then they seemed out of date and the productions lacked historical and theatrical knowledge. Audiences lost to more contemporary forms of entertainment were hard to replace with the exception of those who were children when the Beijing Opera was at its peak. Many who lived through the Cultural Revolution preferred the newer versions and still favor those melodies.

Campaigns exist to bring back this lost art from as well as other Theatrical Arts. The Plum Blossom Award, sponsored by the Chinese Opera Journal, gives awards, judged by the Journal, to new artists. The actors and actresses must be under 45 years of age and come from all over China. These and other competitions are seen on the CCTV, China's main television network and radio stations, particularly during the New Years special concerts. There has even been designated a Beijing Opera Month.

In recent years, performances worldwide of Beijing Opera theatre have brought this marvelous art form to broader audiences. It has served as ambassador to the West providing many new opportunities for people to enjoy a performance style that rivals any of the Grand Operas and Symphonies of Europe and North America.

Timothy Jordan was born in Detroit, Michigan where he began a career in music at a very early age. Having studied with the regions top teachers and performers he set off on his own "MUSO SHUGYO" or musical wanderings and ended up in Boston, Mass. While there he has performed in some of the top music groups, touring, and recording for live, television, theatre and movies. His percussion skills took him to Japan where he had an intensive study with the drummers of KODO. Mr. Jordan also has studied several martial arts styles including Iaido, the Japanese Sword. He continues today to further his cultural studies and is currently the owner of an Asian art and cultural goods Internet retail business, LIVE COMPLETE and ZENSHO PRODUCTS.com

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Merengue in New Zealand

Origin:

Merengue originated in the Dominican Republic. It is the national dance of the Dominican. There are a few stories describing how the dance originated. The most common one is that of the slaves who were chained together and had to move by dragging one foot at a time. Merengue as a two beat music and since the footwork is quite similar to walking, it is a very easy dance to learn.

Music:

Merengue is played in 2/4. The double sided drum is played on one side with a stick with a strong syncopation to mark the beats. Saxophones and guitars are also very popular instruments found in the music.

Dance:

Merengue footwork is extremely easy to learn as it's a simple two beat movement ("left, right") with the body weight being moved between the legs. The upper body stays fairly straight while the hips move with the weight change. The Merengue frame is much smaller (closer) in comparison to Salsa. Having said that, Merengue is often led with a single (right) hand on the back. But in open hold, arms are often completely extended out instead of maintaining a closer L-shaped frame.

Latinos NZ Popularity Scale: 8.5/10

Meregue is a very popular Latin American Dance in New Zealand, second only to Salsa. On an average night out in a Latin Club, as many as every second or third song can be Merengue.

Article taken from Latinos.co.nz (http://www.latinos.co.nz)

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Dance Sport, Exercise and Health

Dance sport is set to become an Olympic event. Personally I am not in favor of this. Not for a moment would I dispute the fact that dancers have considerable athletic prowess. Nonetheless, I feel that all Olympic events should be decided on technical and verifiable rules and regulations. In my personal opinion no Olympic event should have an aesthetic and therefore subjective element.

That said, I love dance sport. Like millions of other people I avidly watch the TV shows, such as "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance" in which it features.

Dance sport views dance as a sporting activity. A man and a woman participate as a couple. There are also team events. Judging is based on technique, use of floor space and artistic interpretation of the music. Originally this dance form developed from competitive International Style. The remit has been widened to include any internationally recognized dance style which is sport orientated.

International Style Dance sport comprises:a Standard Section, a Latin American section,a Ten Dance section consisting of 5 standard and 5 Latin dances, and a Rock 'n' Roll Section.

Dance sport is performed at both professional and amateur levels. Amateur competition levels are designated by the letters ABCDE, E being the lowest with A the highest. Some countries have an international class S. Class C dancers are only allowed to perform dance steps from the syllabus.

Dancers are liable to problems such as stress fractures for example. Ballroom dancers cannot avoid putting great strain on the second metatarsal bone.This is the bone in the middle of the foot next to the big toe. The rise and fall of slower dances such as the foxtrot and waltz puts great strain on this bone.

Putting thins right may involve a cast and rest will almost certainly be necessary. It may be three months or so before competition and flat out dancing is possible.

Training is intense.Often dancers will practice five times a week for hours on end. The emphasis on appearance by some teachers has had dire effects on certain sensitive dancers. There are accounts of girls being told that they are overweight and then losing as much as 42 lbs in weight, developing anorexia with it's attendant hair loss, depression, cessation of periods and sleep disruption. But some of these girls have nonetheless been able to continue dancing and have used this activity as a means of self-expression and escape from depression.

Dance as a means of overcoming physical and mental health problems is well documented. I have heard the story of a man with Scoliosis. This is a condition where the spine is curved and twisted. It leads to the rib cage affecting the heart and lungs. Some of the symptoms of the condition are backache, shortness of breath, digestive and mobility problems. In spite of the pain this man loved dance sport.His wife was also his dancing partner.

Many other dancers did not understand this man's physical problems and were annoyed when he got in their way, bumped into them or when he and his partner tripped and fell. Teachers were also not necessarily understanding and sympathetic. It was very difficult for the man to assume certain positions. Both he and his wife often ended up with sprained ankles and grazed knees. Despite all of these difficulties he found that dancing helped to maintain his posture and reduce his symptoms.

After twenty years this enormously courageous man went to the United States to undergo a treatment new at that time. As a resullt of not being able to take part in dance sport both the man and his wife became extremely depressed. He was made even unhappier by the knowledge that dancing was not only his wife's form of exercise but was also her principal hobby.

Two years after the treatment they were able to start dancing again. Gradually they improved with practice. They even found that some things, such as the promenade steps had become easier due to improved posture and the rotational correction of his spine brought about by the treatment.

After four months of lessons this man and his wife entered their very first Senior Competition and gained 7th place: a tremendous achievement. They now intend to go on dancing as long as they can.

There is also a report written by a woman injured in the Bosnian War. She was wounded in the upper left leg and some nerves were irreparably damaged. She is now unable to tense her left foot, in fact she has no feeling at all in the foot. But she is working very hard and is determined to be a great dancer and find a way around her difficulties.

Those people who are relying on exercise as a protection against heart attack should think again. People have been known to have heart attacks while dancing. Good health and lessening the risk of heart attack and stroke has a second factor: diet. The diet must be balanced - not too much of any one food group. We have all heard this a thousand times. We may understand on one level the essential value of exercise, and diet to good health. Nevertheless, food habits are amongst the most difficult to alter. Perseverance really does bring rewards.

There is no doubt that dance sport is a healthy means of exercise, self-expression and the competitive spirit. Like any form of sport or exercise it is important not to over stress the body. Over stressing the body leads to the exact opposite of what one if trying to achieve.

Dance in Our Footsteps is dedicated to Instructional Dance dvds, cds, videos, books, gifts, costumes and everything connected to Dance and Health..

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Proverbs With Wisdom

Proverbs come from the Latin word proverbium. It is a phrase that has a lot of meaning metaphorically. So if you want to tell somebody do not sit idle else it may work against you, you can say, "empty mind is a devils workshop" which means if you sit idle you will end up thinking and doing evil things.

If a proverb is distinct from others with good phrasing it can be termed as an aphorism. When a proverb is used to describe a rule of conduct, it can be termed as a maxim. Proverbs were generally derived from different cultures and human experience that came from seniors in the society who knew how a situation and how should it be dealt with.

The books of Proverbs from the Bible and Latin language from the medieval times have played a significant role in spreading proverbs. A few proverbs are mentioned below so you have a thorough understanding of these powerful sentences.

-A friend in need is a friend indeed.

This famous Shakespeare's proverb used in his plays meant if a friend helps you out in your time of difficulty then he or she is truly a good friend.

A burnt child dreads fire

When a person comes across an accident it changes the person's attitude, fears, likes and dislikes for life.

-First come, first served

This is a very common proverb. Used by retail outlets, as and when offers are given out. Sometimes even at one's home it may be experienced, as the person who comes in first may get served with a dish and the person coming in later may miss it as it is over.

-As you sow, so shall you reap

This proverb is taught to us in schools where we are taught to think right and reap its benefits. A similar proverb is what goes around, comes around.

Some more include:

-A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

-Between the devil and the deep sea

-Birds of a feather flock together

-A rolling stone gathers no moss

-Every cloud has a silver lining

-Fire is a good servant but a bad master

-All that glitters is not gold.

Just to summarise proverbs are nothing but short sayings or short stories which we have learned in our child hood days just as the nursery rhymes

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History of Bhangra

Bhangra is a Punjabi folk dance which is massively popular all across the world. Historically, Bhangra was celebrated during the harvest festival of Baisakhi in Punjab. Basically a Punjabi folk dance, Bhangra expanded itself to incorporate the style of music used to come up with the original dance. Initially its reach was limited to Punjab only. But with the passage of time, it has attained huge fame outside Punjab also. Bhangra is a globally renowned style of dance and song.

Right from its origin to the date, Bhangra has always evolved itself. Considered as a dance as well as a musical style, Bhangra has truly gone international. Music scenario all over the world has changed. The forms of music has got a complete new look. This is the time of fusion. Most of the popular Bhangra songs have elements of hip-hop, rap and different other western form enfolded within it. Bhangra is considered as very expressive form of music though it uses small number of notes. Bhangra songs have a lyrical nature which makes it very melodious.

One of the most interesting thing about Bhangra is that its not just a single dance but it encompasses large number of sub genres as well. The major sub genres of Bhangra are Dhamal, Jhumar, Daankara, Luddi, Giddha, Julli, Gatka, Saami and Kikli. All these sub genres follow different dance formats and together they combine to form a kaleidoscopic view of original Bhangra. The musical instruments used in Bhangra make rhythm of Bhangra very energetic and catchy. Main instruments used in Bhangra are; Sarangi, Dafli, Tumbi or Ektar, Dholak, Chimpta, Dhol and Damaru.

Bhangra's popularity on an international scale can be credited to expatriates living in Britain. Bhangra provided them with a reason to celebrate by indulging in the music of their land of birth. Its reputation is such that, we can afford to call it a subculture which represents songs, dance and a life style.

The glimpses of the Bhangra can also be seen in Bollywood movie songs right from old hindi songs to the latest hindi songs.

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Bandera, Texas: Cowboy Capital of the World

Wanna be a cowboy? That's an easy order to fill in Bandera, Texas, nicknamed "The Cowboy Capital of the World." In this community, located 50 miles northwest of San Antonio on TX 16, you cant toss a horseshoe without hitting a dude ranch, rodeo ground, western wear store, or dance hall.

Banderas Western heritage is a big draw to todays travelers but its roots date back to the founding days of Texas. Bandera Pass, located twelve miles north on TX 173, was first the site of numerous battles between the Spanish conquistadors and both Apache and Comanche Indians. According to one local legend, a flag (or bandera in Spanish) was placed here to mark the border between the forces.

Today the Wild West atmosphere lives on both in town and in the surrounding dude ranches. Whether youd like to "cowboy up" for a few days at a dude ranch or just grab some boots and dance to Western tunes along Main Street, Bandera has plenty of opportunities to get in touch with your inner cowboy.

Dude Ranches: Bandera is well known for its many dude ranches, the perfect way for you and your family to experience life as a cowboy for a few days. Properties like the Flying L Guest Ranch, the Mayan Ranch, Dixie Dude Ranch, and Twin Elm Guest Ranch will keep you busy with horseback rides, hayrides, fishing, cookouts, and more. You dont have to have any previous riding experience to enjoy the ranches. Typically the guest rates include three meals a day as well as Western entertainment and even supervised kids' programs. During the peak summer months, expect a minimum stay at many ranches.

Rodeos: Bandera is also synonymous with rodeos. One favorite held every Tuesday and Friday through the summer is at the Twin Elm Guest Ranch. For professional action, check out the Cowboy Capital PRCA Rodeo, held in May.

Honky Tonks: Another city might call them nightclubs, but there's nothing fancy about Bandera; this town proudly calls their downtown bars honky tonks. Live country music can be found most nights. One of the best known is Arkey Blues Silver Dollar. Dont miss the sawdust-covered floor (to encourage plenty of boot-scootin). Also on Main Street, the Cabaret Dancehall has shook to the sounds of country music for seven decades and often hosts many big name acts.

Cowboys on Main: During the warm weather months, downtown Bandera is transformed with a Saturday event called Cowboys on Main. Scheduled from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. right on Main Street, the event features horseback riding cowboys, storytellers, trick ropers, musicians, and a lot more. The event is sponsored by the Frontier Times Museums Living History Project. Save some time for a sop at the Frontier Times Museum. The museum dates back to 1927 and is a good place to learn more about Bandera's early days through cowboy paraphernalia, Native American arrowheads, and prehistoric artifacts.

For more information on vacationing in Bandera, call the Bandera Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800.364.3833 or 830.796.3045.

Paris Permenter and John Bigley are Texas guidebook authors and the editors of TexasTripper.com Travel Guide, an online guide to vacationing in Texas.

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