Exploring the true essence of art and honing one's original artistic aspirations

Exploring the true essence of art and honing one's original artistic aspirations

Editor's note

This is a profound concern and important instruction for the opera industry, opera education industry, and even the entire art world.

Exploring the true essence of art and honing one's original artistic aspirations

In the 2020 "Summer Palace · Drama Journey" activity, 20 national first-class actors and opera people of the old, middle, young and young generations appeared on the stage in the Dehe Garden Theater of the Summer Palace, and 11 major operas, including Beijing Opera, Kunqu Opera, Han Opera, Hui Opera and Qin Opera Opera, took turns to appear on the stage. Shen Jizhong

Teacher and Student Narration

Upholding integrity and innovation make Peking Opera more contemporary

Narrator: Liu Xiurong, the first graduate of China Academy of Performing Arts and a performer of Peking Opera

As a literary worker and art school teacher, I will definitely take practical actions to inherit the essence of the country and protect the rich heritage left by our ancestors.

In my 75 year career in the arts, the most memorable experience for me was attending the first National Opera Observation and Performance Conference as a student in 1952, where I performed in Mr. Tian Han's creation of "The Legend of the White Snake". Fortunately, at the age of only 16, I was given the opportunity to play Bai Suzhen. From creation to performance, the teachers taught me step by step, passing on every move and guiding me meticulously, making me full of gratitude and benefiting for a lifetime. After winning the award in that performance, Premier Zhou Enlai affectionately called me "Little White Snake". That experience also deeply impressed me with the spirit of "one dish" passed down from generation to generation in the Chinese opera industry: there is no distinction between primary and secondary roles before and after the stage, only through the collaboration of lighting, scenery, and actors can a play be performed well together.

After leaving the stage, I am still busy with the inheritance and education of Peking Opera. Although it is hard, I am very pleased to see students making progress and receiving recognition from the audience for their performances. During the teaching process, some students said to me, "Master, I'm so stupid, why aren't you in a hurry?" I always answered with four words: "Yes, yes, good, and excellent." - Learning opera cannot be rushed, optics cannot be mastered, and we still need to practice correctly until we gradually grind out programs with good effects and excellent quality. So, oral transmission and heart to heart teaching are not enough in the teaching process, and demonstration must be done. I often advise students to 'bring hardship upon themselves' and to have the courage to' know that there are tigers in the mountains and lean towards them '. Although the process of challenging oneself is difficult, persevering will yield rewards and growth.

Every time students graduate, I help them choreograph the "school play" "Legend of the White Snake". It was this play that started me to develop my own artistic style, artistic characteristics, artistic aesthetics, and artistic pursuits. Joining forces with Peking Opera and loving it for a lifetime, the art of Peking Opera has been my lifelong dream. Without the care and love of the Party, I would not be the happy and fulfilled person I am today.

Beijing opera is a national treasure, and ethnic culture and art must not be lost. The "Little White Snake" of the past is now over the age of eight, but many of them are competing for beauty on the Beijing Opera stage, blooming in the vast world of the new era. I believe that we will definitely usher in a new glory of Chinese culture.

Exploring the true essence of art and honing one's original artistic aspirations

The traditional Peking Opera play "Chao Jin Ding" still photo excavated, rescued, and organized by the China Academy of Performing Arts. Bright picture

Let the virtue of being a teacher and the pursuit of art be passed down from generation to generation

Narrator: Shu Tong, a professor at China Academy of Chinese Opera, Secretary of the Party Branch and Department Head of the Peking Opera Department, and homeroom teacher of the Youth Research Class

As a playwright, I am deeply proud. I come from a family of pear orchards. My great grandfather was a young master named Cheng Jixian. My parents learned art from a young age and joined the revolutionary literary and artistic team at an early age. In 1958, they responded to the national call to support the construction of the northwest and contributed their entire lives to the literary and artistic cause in Ningxia. In 1986, after graduating from junior high school, I stubbornly embarked on the path of learning Peking Opera with a passion for it. My father was originally against it, but seeing that I had missed the best time to practice, I put in more effort and determination than ordinary people to help me practice.

Over the past 30 years of my career in art, every teacher I have met has a rigorous and serious attitude towards art, which has benefited me for a lifetime.

In the freezing winter with heavy snowfall, Mr. Zhang Yuankui braved the wind and snow and rode his bicycle to the classroom to teach me the endangered play "The Great Hui Dynasty". During my first rehearsal of 'Lu Hua Dang' in college, Mr. Ma Mingqun specially bought nutritional supplements to 'add steel' to me. Mr. Jing Rongqing, who had just undergone eye surgery, came to demonstrate for me in class wearing sunglasses. At the last moment of his life, he called me and asked, 'What else do you want to learn?'. Mr. Shang Changrong went to Beijing for a meeting and took advantage of his limited free time to tell me a play

This reply from General Secretary has further strengthened my determination to explore and inherit excellent traditional skills, and clarified my direction of actively creating for the new era.

Exploring the true essence of art and honing one's original artistic aspirations

Tourists watch the live action version of Kunqu Opera "Peony Pavilion" in Suzhou Lingering Garden. Shen Jizhong

Never forget the original intention, cultivate drama and literature

Narrator: Yan Quanyi, Director and Professor of the Department of Drama and Literature at the China Academy of Chinese Opera

In 1992, I was admitted to the Department of Drama and Literature at the China Academy of Performing Arts from Southeast Island, Zhejiang for my undergraduate studies. At that time, with the tide of reform and opening up, the social and cultural changes were drastic, and the art of opera was generally neglected. The national opera campus located near Taoran Pavilion has gathered a group of opera practitioners who are willing to live in poverty and dedicate themselves. There is no "family background" in learning here, and professors and seniors from various departments will teach students everything they have. I still remember that every time I finished writing a script, besides the teachers in my department, the school leaders Zhu Wenxiang, Niu Biao, Guan Yong, Zhao Jingbo, and others often called me in for home tutoring. Once, the school leaders even held a seminar specifically for me, a young student's script. This atmosphere has strengthened my determination and confidence in cultivating drama and literature.

People often say: a script is the foundation of a play. The cultivation of opera screenwriters is a long process, and teachers are well aware that opera screenwriters need to understand the stage and communicate more with actors, so they strongly encourage students to take on creative roles. In my second year of enrollment, the "December 9th Opera Festival" organized by the school's Youth League Committee brought my short play script to the stage, starring Shu Tong, a former performance student and flower faced actor, and now the head of the Chinese Opera and Peking Opera Department. We worked day and night to discuss the script and performance, and although the play was not large, it benefited us a lot. When my graduate thesis script was finalized, the former dean Zhu Wenxiang invited several famous actors from the first Chinese Peking Opera Youth Research Class to his home and provided suggestions for the script from the perspective of actors. For many years, I have always kept in mind the teachings of my teachers, carefully creating scripts and cultivating students.

Entering a new era, under the clarion call of cultural confidence, traditional art is highly valued, and more and more young people are falling in love with ethnic culture and opera art. The number of applicants for the Department of Chinese Drama and Literature has also skyrocketed, from hundreds of people competing for 60 admission spots more than 20 years ago to over 5000 applicants every year, making the admission ratio one in a hundred.

Remembering our original intention and cultivating the art of drama is the common pursuit and conscious action of all teachers and students in the drama department. In the future, I will definitely discover and cultivate talented actors who love opera and are dedicated to their careers among numerous young students, so that they can grow up like basking in the spring breeze and facing the sun.

Stimulate fighting spirit and cultivate skills with the youth of struggle

Narrator: Liu Haide, a graduate student from the Stage Art Department of China Academy of Performing Arts in 2020

I have loved traditional Chinese opera since I was young. Due to my poor family background, I worked and studied part-time since high school. Finally, in 2016, my dream of playing Chinese opera came true and I ranked among the top in my major. This year, I became a graduate student in Chinese opera.

Throughout, the spirit of my alma mater's perseverance and determination has inspired me to strive for the inheritance and promotion of traditional culture. In 2019, I joined the CPC. On the occasion of the 70th birthday of the People's Republic of China, I had the privilege of participating in the National Day mass parade on Tiananmen Square. The focused expressions, smiling faces, and waving hands of my classmates have shown me the unwavering faith and persistent beliefs of Chinese youth in the new era, which has deeply inspired and inspired me.

As a student in school, receiving a reply from the General Secretary not only reflects his high expectations for the four generations of Chinese opera performers, including the elderly, middle-aged, and young, but also the determination of every teacher and classmate around him to inherit and promote traditional culture. I will work together with my classmates to uphold the school motto of "cultivating virtue and art, carrying forward the past and opening up the future", fully leverage my professional advantages, strengthen cultural confidence, promote excellent traditional Chinese culture, and strive to shine brightly and warmly for the construction of a socialist cultural power.

Guzheng creates new sounds, art cultivates new talents

Narrator: Wang Zhongshan, Guzheng performer and professor at the Department of Chinese Music, China Conservatory of Music

I was born in the hometown of traditional Chinese opera and immersed myself in Yu opera and Qu opera from a young age. In 1986, I joined a Qu opera troupe as a Guzheng performer, and my strong foundation in traditional Chinese opera music laid a solid foundation for my artistic path.

As an artist, I always remember my responsibility and mission. For a period of time, there has been a tendency in society to believe that Eastern art is rustic and Western art is Western, and to devote more enthusiasm to the learning and dissemination of Western art, while traditional music in China has been neglected. How can traditional literature and art promote their advantages and respond to the times? How to make our ethnic art receive widespread attention and flourish among young people? Everyone has been thinking.

Preaching and imparting knowledge, imparting skills and virtues. As a people's teacher, we should realize the importance of inheriting the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and cultivate students to be excellent talents who are confident in their own national culture and full of feelings for the Chinese nation and the CPC.

In education and teaching, I always remember the original intention of cultivating virtue and talents, and keep in mind the mission of educating people for the Party and the country. I integrate the cultivation of virtue and talents into various aspects of ideological and moral education, cultural knowledge education, and social practice education. For example, in my teaching, I not only inspire students in playing, but also guide them to understand the cultural value of the guzheng instrument - it is the imprint of Chinese civilization, condenses the understanding of the Chinese people on all things in the world, and showcases the unique aesthetic taste and longing for a beautiful life of the East. Using Guzheng as a carrier to inherit traditional culture has subtly increased students' understanding of national culture, and has achieved good results in cultivating patriotism and building cultural confidence.

I firmly believe that as long as we don't forget our original intention and have the courage to explore, the spring of traditional culture and art will definitely come.

In the process of passing on the torch, 'Houlang' actively explores the true essence of art

Narrator: Liang Yan, a 2017 student from the Education College of Beijing Dance Academy

I found that both the Chinese Academy of Performing Arts and the Beijing Dance Academy have the four words' virtuous and artistic 'in their school mottos. This inspires us, the 'latecomers', to explore the true essence of art in the process of passing it on from generation to generation, and to contribute more exquisite works to the people under the cultural infiltration and direction guidance of virtue and art.

I can't help but recall the unforgettable experience of participating in the Tiananmen Square celebration for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. More than 800 teachers and students from Beijing Dance Academy were mobilized to successfully complete the tasks of the square celebration, mass parade, themed floats, and the large-scale cultural and artistic evening party "Struggle! Chinese Sons and Daughters". In practice, I have come to realize that literary and artistic workers must create excellent works that serve the times and express the feelings of the people.

That time, from rehearsal to the final performance, we undertook the content of four chapters, 90 minutes, 40 positions, 25 dance segments, and 8 hours of intense rehearsals every day. In the most difficult time, I joined the CPC with honor. This responsibility and commitment inspire me to be more down-to-earth and use my professional advantages to serve the public.

Dance art and opera art have intricate connections in the long river of history. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, traditional Chinese opera dance used body movements to shape characters and showcase the plot, providing a rich foundation and performance program for the emergence and development of later Chinese classical dance. The performance principles of "hands, eyes, body, technique, and steps" were also integrated into the movements of classical dance. Our dance academy has created many excellent dances with elements of traditional Chinese opera over the years, such as "Red Jade Heart" and "Fragrant Spring Journey". While deepening the essence of traditional Chinese opera art, we have fully demonstrated the charm of dynamic plastic arts.

Ten minutes on stage and ten years off stage, no opera or dance performer's success is achieved overnight. In the future, I will persist in exploring my profession, closely linking my personal growth as a "little self" with the "big self" of my country and people, and contributing to the inheritance of excellent traditional Chinese culture and the construction of a socialist cultural power.

Fulfill the heavy trust and bravely shoulder the mission

Promote the high-quality development of traditional Chinese opera education

Author: Gong Yu (Secretary of the Party Committee of China Academy of Performing Arts)

Looking back on the past 70 years, the China Academy of Performing Arts has firmly established its roots and made special and important contributions to the cause of opera education. On January 28, 1950, the predecessor of the Chinese Academy of Performing Arts, the Experimental School of the Ministry of Culture's Drama Improvement Bureau, was born, ushering in a new era of Chinese opera education. After 70 years of hard work in education, we have completed the institutional transformation of traditional Chinese opera education from old to new and from traditional to modern; The transformation of traditional Chinese opera education from academic classes, vocational schools to universities has been completed, and a complete system of traditional Chinese opera education has been established; Accumulated and formed the most complete and leading professional system in the field of traditional Chinese opera among similar universities in the country. The college adheres to the talent cultivation model of "teaching, practice, scientific research, and creation", and has trained nearly 20000 senior specialized talents in traditional Chinese opera art. It has also explored the characteristics of traditional Chinese opera art, which uses song and dance to tell stories, and leveraged its social function of promoting education on a high platform. It has created a large number of excellent works with national and contemporary characteristics, such as "The Legend of the White Snake" and "Du Shiniang". As the only independent university in China that cultivates advanced specialized talents in traditional Chinese opera, we take the initiative to undertake national missions, host various important evening parties and training courses, conduct in-depth research on traditional Chinese opera theory, participate extensively in performance and exhibition activities, continuously consolidate and expand the audience base of traditional Chinese opera, and establish the world's first Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Opera, contributing to the exchange of traditional Chinese opera culture at home and abroad.

As the highest institution of traditional Chinese opera education in the country, China Academy of Performing Arts must shoulder this historical responsibility, fully implement the Party's educational and artistic policies, keep in mind the school motto of "promoting virtue and art, carrying forward the past and opening up the future", implement the fundamental task of cultivating morality and talents, and always place talent cultivation at the center. The General Secretary pointed out that "we should guide teachers and students to strengthen cultural self-confidence, carry forward fine traditions, and adhere to integrity and innovation", which reminds us that the inheritance and development of traditional opera art must deal with the relationship between inheritance and innovation, not forget the root, inherit the artistic essence, aesthetic spirit, and value essence of Chinese opera, and continue and carry forward the blood of traditional opera art. At the same time, we must adhere to the principle of respecting tradition and following the development laws of traditional Chinese opera, constantly explore and innovate, and give traditional Chinese opera a new era atmosphere. In accordance with the requirements of "exploring the true essence of art through mutual growth in teaching and learning, and honing the original intention of art in serving the people", we must bear in mind the original mission of cultivating talents for the Party and the country, strictly follow the laws of education and teaching, and the development of traditional Chinese opera art, scientifically summarize the teaching methods of oral transmission, and establish a university of traditional Chinese opera art that satisfies the people. This is an important mission that China Academy of Performing Arts must steadfastly strive for in the new era.

Looking ahead to the new journey, China Academy of Performing Arts will deepen its cultivation and make new contributions to the prosperity of national opera art and the construction of a socialist cultural power. We will stand at a strategic height to deeply understand the important role of traditional Chinese opera in the construction of a cultural power. We will always be committed to cultivating specialized talents in traditional Chinese opera with a firm Chinese cultural stance and high cultural confidence. We will always strive to achieve resonance between ancient Chinese opera and the development process of the new era society, and give full play to the artistic charm of traditional Chinese opera, which can deeply penetrate people and quickly transform them. We will promote excellent traditional culture and serve the construction of a cultural power.