Elderly troupe triumph in Germany
By Tan Weiyun |
August 16, 2011, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A group of retired Shanghai residents recently wowed the crowds at two folk art festivals in Germany. Tan Weiyun meets some of the performance troupe's sprightly members.
For the elderly men and women in the Pudong New Area's Tangqiao Community Folk Art Troupe, life shines after retirement. The senior citizens never expected that one day they would spring to fame on the international stage.
The troupe recently returned with glory from the 9th International Folklore Festival Lusatia 2011 and the International Beeke Festival, which were held last month in Germany.
"I've never seen so many cameras flashing in front of me. German people are so crazy," says 55-year-old Chen Zhiying, a team member in the dancing group.
It's one of only a few times that a Chinese folk art troupe made up of elderly amateurs from local neighborhoods has performed at an international art festival abroad.
"It's also the first time an Asian folk art troupe was invited to the festivals," says the troupe director Wang Xibao.
The 9th International Folklore Festival Lusatia 2011 and the International Beeke Festival, held every other year, are a platform for folk artists from all over the world to show their talents, meet new friends and display various cultures and traditions.
A total of 24 performers from Pudong's Tangqiao Community were invited, mostly aged over 60 years old with the oldest being 73.
They are from all walks of life - civil servants, teachers, factory workers and housewives - but they have shared a common passion for folk art since retiring.
"It's never too late to enjoy life. Don't trifle with us old people," says 63-year-old Tang Miaoling, who performs a traditional puppet show.
Though old in appearance, these art lovers are still young at heart. They are skillful in different local operas, musical instruments and folk dances.
Their performances that made a huge splash at the folk art festivals in Germany included shadow play, folk dances, erhu (Chinese fiddle) shows and the Shanghai dockers' work songs.
"They are all amateurs, but they are as good as the professionals," says team leader Wang.
Founded in the 1990s, the community troupe is an open platform for Tangqiao area residents who love folk arts, ranging from ancient operas, old musical instruments to folk arts and dancing.
It is currently made up of 10 folk art teams with more than 200 elderly performers. Their performances include matou haozi (dockers' work songs), diabolo displays, dragon dance and many others.
The elderly folk take performing seriously. "Our rehearsal schedule is fully packed from the early morning to the night," says 61-year-old Wang Zhiqiang, a dockers' work song performer. "I post it on the refrigerator so that I'm constantly reminded not to miss a single one."
Each member is required to master two or three performances, so they have to practice around the clock.
Sixty-two-year-old Wang Xingying unfolds her schedule. She attends waist drumming at 7am, the walking-stick dance at 8:30am and then the shadow play one hour later. After a quick lunch at noon, she spends three hours on folk dance.
"We often practice late into the night," Wang says. "Of course it's exhausting and painstaking as we are indeed old people, but since it's what we truly love, we still feel happy."
Diabolo juggling is one of the most difficult performances. Consisting of a spool controlled using a cotton string, the performance requires a variety of complicated acrobatic moves, such as jumps, jogging, squats, crouches and swift turns.
"Even a young man would have difficulty doing these moves; for we old people, practice is the only way," says Wang Zhiqiang.
The walking-stick dance is also hard to perform, requiring body flexibility and coordination through rod rubbing, lifting, rowing, swinging, turning and swaying. Meanwhile dancers have to keep up with the quick music beat.
"We often have a good sweat after the show," Wang says. "But through these various moves, one can feel their body stretched and strengthened."
The dockers' work songs are the highlight of the troupe shows. With a history of more than 100 years, the songs give people a quick glimpse of the hard life of workers on the docks of the Shanghai port along the Huangpu River in olden times.
During the two-week stay in Germany, the Chinese folk arts caused a great stir. The troupe was invited to give more than 10 special performances in the squares and have costume parades on the main streets, which received big applause.
Fans were everywhere, following them to each show. They were invited to attend interviews with German newspaper, TV and radio.
"We were treated like stars. It felt good," says 60-year-old Liu Longying, director of the folk dancing team.
"We have loved arts since we were young, but the timing was not right," Chen Zhiying says. People at her age survived the most difficult times of the country, such as the "Great Famine" (1959-1961) during the early 1950s and the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976).
"During that time, white, black and gray were the dominant colors we could wear and to own a lipstick was a dangerous thing," she recalls.
"We lost the opportunity when young, so it's our last chance to grasp it though we are old. I hope it's not too late."
For the elderly men and women in the Pudong New Area's Tangqiao Community Folk Art Troupe, life shines after retirement. The senior citizens never expected that one day they would spring to fame on the international stage.
The troupe recently returned with glory from the 9th International Folklore Festival Lusatia 2011 and the International Beeke Festival, which were held last month in Germany.
"I've never seen so many cameras flashing in front of me. German people are so crazy," says 55-year-old Chen Zhiying, a team member in the dancing group.
It's one of only a few times that a Chinese folk art troupe made up of elderly amateurs from local neighborhoods has performed at an international art festival abroad.
"It's also the first time an Asian folk art troupe was invited to the festivals," says the troupe director Wang Xibao.
The 9th International Folklore Festival Lusatia 2011 and the International Beeke Festival, held every other year, are a platform for folk artists from all over the world to show their talents, meet new friends and display various cultures and traditions.
A total of 24 performers from Pudong's Tangqiao Community were invited, mostly aged over 60 years old with the oldest being 73.
They are from all walks of life - civil servants, teachers, factory workers and housewives - but they have shared a common passion for folk art since retiring.
"It's never too late to enjoy life. Don't trifle with us old people," says 63-year-old Tang Miaoling, who performs a traditional puppet show.
Though old in appearance, these art lovers are still young at heart. They are skillful in different local operas, musical instruments and folk dances.
Their performances that made a huge splash at the folk art festivals in Germany included shadow play, folk dances, erhu (Chinese fiddle) shows and the Shanghai dockers' work songs.
"They are all amateurs, but they are as good as the professionals," says team leader Wang.
Founded in the 1990s, the community troupe is an open platform for Tangqiao area residents who love folk arts, ranging from ancient operas, old musical instruments to folk arts and dancing.
It is currently made up of 10 folk art teams with more than 200 elderly performers. Their performances include matou haozi (dockers' work songs), diabolo displays, dragon dance and many others.
The elderly folk take performing seriously. "Our rehearsal schedule is fully packed from the early morning to the night," says 61-year-old Wang Zhiqiang, a dockers' work song performer. "I post it on the refrigerator so that I'm constantly reminded not to miss a single one."
Each member is required to master two or three performances, so they have to practice around the clock.
Sixty-two-year-old Wang Xingying unfolds her schedule. She attends waist drumming at 7am, the walking-stick dance at 8:30am and then the shadow play one hour later. After a quick lunch at noon, she spends three hours on folk dance.
"We often practice late into the night," Wang says. "Of course it's exhausting and painstaking as we are indeed old people, but since it's what we truly love, we still feel happy."
Diabolo juggling is one of the most difficult performances. Consisting of a spool controlled using a cotton string, the performance requires a variety of complicated acrobatic moves, such as jumps, jogging, squats, crouches and swift turns.
"Even a young man would have difficulty doing these moves; for we old people, practice is the only way," says Wang Zhiqiang.
The walking-stick dance is also hard to perform, requiring body flexibility and coordination through rod rubbing, lifting, rowing, swinging, turning and swaying. Meanwhile dancers have to keep up with the quick music beat.
"We often have a good sweat after the show," Wang says. "But through these various moves, one can feel their body stretched and strengthened."
The dockers' work songs are the highlight of the troupe shows. With a history of more than 100 years, the songs give people a quick glimpse of the hard life of workers on the docks of the Shanghai port along the Huangpu River in olden times.
During the two-week stay in Germany, the Chinese folk arts caused a great stir. The troupe was invited to give more than 10 special performances in the squares and have costume parades on the main streets, which received big applause.
Fans were everywhere, following them to each show. They were invited to attend interviews with German newspaper, TV and radio.
"We were treated like stars. It felt good," says 60-year-old Liu Longying, director of the folk dancing team.
"We have loved arts since we were young, but the timing was not right," Chen Zhiying says. People at her age survived the most difficult times of the country, such as the "Great Famine" (1959-1961) during the early 1950s and the "cultural revolution" (1966-1976).
"During that time, white, black and gray were the dominant colors we could wear and to own a lipstick was a dangerous thing," she recalls.
"We lost the opportunity when young, so it's our last chance to grasp it though we are old. I hope it's not too late."
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