 |
|
| A foreign "Hualian" and his Chinese teacher |
| CCTV.COM 2002-08-20 10:08:50 |
|
A one－minute performance takes a decade of practice. The saying sums up the toilsome journey of a successful Peking opera actor. While many modern Chinese shun the hard work, some foreigners enjoy learning the traditional art. Vignon Maurice of Benin is one of them.
Winning lots of applause and outperforming many Chinese, Maurice brought his best to the stage for the CCTV International Amateur Contest in Peking and Kunqu Opera.
His teacher, Jia Shiming, spoke encouraging words: "I can see he's done his utmost. It's not easy, especially for a foreigner. "
Coming from halfway around the world to Beijing, the 29－year－old African has spent the past four years learning the Chinese language. A deep study of Chinese culture formed his affection for Peking Opera. He started studying the art and learned from Jia Shiming how to perform "Hualian", a male character with a painted face.
Despite his relatively late start, Maurice's devotion and hard practice have made him an accomplished artist. His performances have gained high acclaim －－ the recent contest is an example. But Maurice gives the credit to his teacher.
"The help I got from my teacher is an endless story. He not only shows me how to perform Peking Opera, but also teaches me many interesting things about the wide and deep Chinese culture.," he says.
Two thirds of the competitors in the contest were from overseas, and like Maurice, every one of them had the support of a Chinese teacher. While their performances are spectacular, their stories behind the scenes are even more so, filled with love between a student and a teacher.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
