Transmission and Transformation of Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong: From School Education to Professional Training
Cultural and national education through formal schooling has been encouraged since the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Consequently, Cantonese opera has been incorporated into different school subjects such as Chinese Language, General
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Transmission and Transformation of Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong: From School Education to Professional Training Bo Wah Leung
11.1
Cantonese Opera as a Local Culture
Cantonese opera is the most representative Chinese opera genre within the Guangdong (Canton) region, including Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau. Since the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), Cantonese opera has been a well recognized tool for worship and rituals in southern China, where many villages and communities hire troupes to perform during traditional Chinese festivals and birthdays of gods (Yee 1998). Local people view Cantonese opera performances as important cultural events that offer opportunities for social gathering and entertainments (Chan 1991). Cantonese opera, which uses the Cantonese language for singing and communication, can represent Cantonese culture. The opera has currently evolved into a fine art. Singing, reciting, martial arts, and acting are the main artistry that every performer must pursue. Moreover, scriptwriting, instrumental accompaniment, visual art elements such as costumes and make-up, as well as stage production are different components that contribute to this integrated art form. Cantonese opera is valued by the Hong Kong and Guangdong governments as a traditional ethnic art form with rich cultural contents. Cultural and national education through schooling has been required since the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. With its multi-aspect characteristics and functions considered, Cantonese opera has been incorporated into various school subjects such as Chinese Language, General Studies, and Music. For instance, Chinese language teachers may use the lyrics and scripts of Cantonese opera to teach Chinese language and literature (see Ng et al. 2009; Ng and Yeung 2010). The musical and speech elements in Cantonese opera also form part of the school music curricula (see Tang and Leung 2012); meanwhile, it is a learning B.W. Leung (*) Department of Cultural and Creative Arts, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong, China e-mail: [email protected] S. Leong and B.W. Leung (eds.), Creative Arts in Education and Culture: Perspectives from Greater China, Landscapes: the Arts, Aesthetics, and Education 13, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-7729-3_11, © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
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target in the Music examination syllabus of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority 2012). The genre was included in the list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009 (UNESCO 2011); consequently, the Hong Kong government has started supporting the development of Cantonese opera in both professional practice and transmission. However, the transmission of Cantonese opera is considered at risk when the master artists have ceased from performing on stage and the new generation struggles to continue the craft. Furthermore, few young individuals value and support the genre by attending the performances. This chapter aims to document and discuss curre
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