Persistence behind the curtain of Hebei ancient shadow puppet: let "local art" enter the campus and go abroad
2022-04-19
A dictation of eternal events, dancing millions of soldiers with both hands. Behind the curtain, at the end of each shadow play performance, Zhang Xiangdong was tired but very satisfied, because the shadow play enjoyed the audience with its unique performance form. At the age of 75, Zhang Xiangdong is a representative inheritor of shadow play (Changli shadow play), a national intangible cultural heritage project. He has been accompanied by shadow play for 62 years. Today, although Zhang Xiangdong is over 70 years old, he is still hale and hearty. He practices shadow people. His voice is mellow and high pitched, his words are clear, and his moves are full of style. Shadow play is also called "shadow play", "Lantern play" and "earth play". A play in which figures carved from animal skins or paper plates are illuminated by light to perform a story. The repertoire and singing mostly interact with local operas, which are manipulated by artists while singing, accompanied by music. Chinese shadow play is an ancient folk art that integrates painting, sculpture, literature, drama and performance by using the principle of "light and shadow" in the world. In 2011, Chinese shadow play was included in the list of representative works of human intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. According to Zhang Xiangdong, his father was a famous shadow puppet artist of Tangshan Shadow Play troupe. With vivid shadow puppeters and wonderful story plots, he had a strong feeling for shadow play. In 1960, at the age of 13, he was admitted to Tangshan Shadow Puppet Troupe and began to officially study art. Although he studied hard, he was full of energy. One curtain, several shadow puppets, gongs and drums sounded, and his singing was loud and clear. A good play was staged on the stage and cheered under the stage. In order to make the shadow puppet more flexible and vivid, Zhang Xiangdong tried to carve the shadow puppet himself. Every detail is carefully carved to make it better used on the stage. Zhang Xiangdong is obsessed with shadow puppets. Over the years, he has collected more than 6000 shadow play works, including pavilions, flowers, birds, fish, insects, cars, boats, horses and sedans. In order to store these "babies", a shadow play box was specially purchased. He sorted out more than 1000 shadow play volumes, often looked through them and tried to turn more shadow play volumes into vivid shadow play stories. When it comes to shadow puppets, Qi Jianmin, Zhang Xiangdong's wife, said, "for so many years, most of his salary has been used to buy shadow puppet equipment. Whenever he has time, he either carves shadow puppets on his desk, or he repeatedly ponders his actions and tunes his singing with the photographer. He loves shadow puppets." Zhang Xiangdong founded the Xiangdong shadow play troupe of Changli County in 2001. On the basis of maintaining the traditional style of shadow play, he innovated and adapted some shadow play volumes, adding many fresh elements to make them not only "original", but also keep up with the times. Sometimes he would think over a hundred times for a singing or a movement. He often said that although many audiences are laymen, art can never make do with it. Every play should be taken seriously. "Even if there is only one person left, we should finish the shadow play, and we must let everyone hear the most authentic shadow play." It is Zhang Xiangdong's dream to bring shadow play to a larger stage. Now his dream has become a reality. He led his team to perform all over the country for many times. He was invited to participate in the 2005 Tangshan International shadow puppet art exhibition, the first Nanchong International Puppet Art Week and many other performances, and won many awards. Zhang Xiangdong was also invited to perform in Zurich, Switzerland, and "tailor-made" shadow play "little bear and silver needle" according to local history, myths and legends, which was very popular with local audiences. Zhang Xiangdong often said that shadow puppet is a "local art". He is very proud to perform shadow puppet in the country and onto the international stage, and feels the great responsibility on his shoulders. In 2019, Zhang Xiangdong carefully compiled shadow play China, which spread shadow play art in another form. In recent years, he participated in organizing the activity of "shadow puppet art into the campus", became the "non staff teacher" of more than 10 schools in Qinhuangdao area, gave students free shadow puppet classes, explained shadow puppet knowledge, and taught filmmaker operation and singing. "It's not easy to learn shadow play well, but it's more difficult to learn fine." Zhang Xiangdong said that the task of cultivating successor talents is very arduous. He will do his best to carry forward this ancient traditional art and pass it on from generation to generation, so that more people can read the cultural memory of shadow puppets in the circulating light and shadow. (outlook new era)
Edit：Yuanqi Tang Responsible editor：Xiao Yu
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