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Yu opera perfomed at Dahe Troupe. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]
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With great attention paid to every detail, the Chinese opera, as an indispensable part of traditional Chinese culture, displays a marvelous artistic value to the world. As one of the five main national opera forms, Yu opera which originated in Henan Province gains massive popularity for its artistry. In an age when educational resources were scarce, it even played the role of educating the general public and preserving cultural heritage. In recent years, to answer the call for reviving traditional culture, a multitude of private Yu opera troupes have been established.
Aiming to impart national culture and serve more people, Liu Yongsheng, the former director of Zhoukou Bureau of Culture, founded Dahe Troupe in 2011, with money raised by selling his private art collections. In addition to performing opera, the troupe is also a vocational middle school. It recruits staff from famous artists as well as teachers from Zhengzhou University and Henan Arts School, teaching students both academic and vocational courses including Chinese, Math, Acting, etc. After graduation, many students continued their study in junior colleges and universities and most of the graduates became professional actors and actresses.
Lu Huixia, an 11-year-old actress of the troupe told CRI reporters that she went home twice a year and that grandparents and her second uncle were the only family members she had now. The troupe was pretty much her home.
"My dearest wish is to become a good actress in the future," She said.
Yang Junfeng, another actor who dreams of performing, also expressed his affection for the troupe. What he appreciated most about Dahe Troupe is its vigor, for the majority of the performers are under 24. Nevertheless, he is still concerned about the future of Yu opera.
"Though I have been a huge fan of opera since I was a kid, younger generations seem indifferent to this beautiful art," he said.
To solve such a problem, the troupe endeavors to stage plays suited to young people's taste.
"We are like a shabby tractor leading a huge truck, which struggles on a muddy route," Liu Youngsheng said.
Though faced with various problems, such as lack of money and students, Dahe Troupe survives and thrives on everyone's hard work, especially Liu's consistent donations to the poor students and the troupe. As a result, 11 plays were staged in the past four years and won several provincial opera awards, along with a national opera award. Its young performers also won a number of provincial awards, among whom four gained national first prizes. Liu hoped that his efforts would contribute to the revival of Yu opera and would inspire more people to get involved in the protection of traditional Chinese culture.
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