Establishing a "Yu Yin Xiao She" for public welfare, launching Shanghai's first Kunqu opera grading point, and Wang Peiyu "enrolling in the new"

On September 15th, the special screening ceremony for "Capturing and Releasing Cao" by the "Beijing Opera Academy" was held at the Duoyunxuan Art Center. Wang Peiyu announced three new actions during the event: the first Kunqu opera grading point in Shanghai was listed on the Yuyin Society, the establishment of the Children's Peking Opera Troupe "Yuyin Small Society", and the launch of the Yuyin Society's "Pear Garden Inheritance" public welfare project.

"Capturing and Releasing Cao" is one of the representative works of Wang Peiyu, a veteran of the Yu School. At the age of 16, she made her debut on stage at the Lanxin Grand Theater. The National Peking Opera Film Project "Capturing and Releasing Cao", directed by Teng Junjie and co starring Wang Peiyu and Wang Yue, is currently undergoing a one month "2023 Shanghai Exhibition", and this screening is one of them.

"Capturing and Releasing Cao"

For Wang Peiyu, "Capturing and Releasing Cao" is a deeper exploration into the field of traditional Chinese opera cinema, following the Beijing Opera documentary film "Searching for and Saving the Lonely". "Watching a movie is watching the real-time flames of life burning on stage, spending a never-ending night with the actors; watching a movie is being guided by the camera, viewing the world from another artistic perspective, and watching a permanently recorded time." Wang Peiyu joked to the children watching the movie, "Classmates, this is even if Principal Wang has demonstrated a performance for each of you."

Wang Peiyu is participating in the event

After watching "Capturing and Releasing Cao", Principal Wang from Suzhou and Principal Wang from Shanghai went both ways, and Yuyin Society officially became the first Kunqu opera grading center in Shanghai. Kunqu opera, as the "elegant and positive voice", will also be heard in Yuyin Society in the future. Wang Peiyu said, "As the teacher of all kinds of operas, Kunqu Opera has nurtured many genres, including Peking Opera. Kunqu Opera enthusiasts from all over the country have to go to Suzhou to take exams. Now, I am happy to tell everyone that after today, they can also choose to come to Shanghai."

Suzhou Principal Wang and Shanghai Principal Wang travel in both directions

The Kunqu Social Art Level Examination is organized by Suzhou Art School. Anyone who loves Kunqu and has a certain foundation in Kunqu can apply regardless of age, region, occupation, and cultural level. Wang Zhen, Secretary of the Party Branch and Principal of Suzhou Art School, said, "We need and look forward to Kunqu Opera moving towards all corners of the world. With the joint efforts of Beijing and Kunming, the art of traditional Chinese opera will open up more warmly to the public in Shanghai."

The audience enjoyed the playful play "Sitting in a Well and Watching the Sky", which was directed and performed by the children after a week of training at the "Yu Yin Society Beijing Opera Creation Camp". The well-known idiom stories are interpreted by the four skills and five techniques of Peking Opera, and have their own brilliance.

During the creation camp, Wang Peiyu was performing in Beijing and received daily learning reports from her children, saying, "Learning to sing, recite, play, perform, and learn new children's dramas in just seven days is very difficult. Children in small science classes already have the basic qualities to perform on stage. Typhoon may still be immature and their skills may not be mature enough, but their love, perseverance, and reverence for the stage are definitely not inferior to adults. Therefore, they have reason and should have their own stage."

The children were staring intently

Wang Peiyu announced the establishment of a children's Peking Opera troupe called "Yu Yin Xiao She", which belongs to the Yu Yin Society. Students who meet the stage requirements will be selected from the "small science classes" to perform for public welfare purposes with their performances leading to success. Wang Peiyu will lead them to perform on the same stage and also stand by the stage to personally guide the children.

On the 15th, the first batch of members of the "Yuyin Small Society" were awarded actor certificates and will participate in the Yuyin Society's "Pear Garden Inheritance" public welfare project.

The Children's Peking Opera Troupe "Yu Yin Xiao She" was established

Members of "Yu Yin Xiao She" were awarded an actor certificate

Yuyin Society has been focusing on public welfare for many years. Wang Peiyu went to remote rural areas and border towns to comfort veterans, visit left behind children and elderly people, carry milk, eggs, stationery and books to Hope Primary School and the homes of beneficiaries, teach Peking Opera classes to children, and sit with fellow villagers on a small horse in front of a fire to kneel and drink tea.

As a Peking Opera performer, she thinks about how to use Peking Opera to help people in need gain communication, respect, happiness, and warmth. The "Pear Garden Inheritance" public welfare project established by Yuyin Society will be invested in cultural exchange and public welfare activities of Peking Opera. Under the leadership of Wang Peiyu, members of the "Yu Yin Xiao She" conducted public welfare visits and performances to bring Peking Opera to more people who need it.

"There has always been a tradition of warmth and kindness in the traditional Chinese opera industry. Many actors such as Tan Xinpei, Mei Lanfang, Yu Shuyan, and Yang Xiaolou have performed volunteer plays for disaster relief and medical assistance. Of course, the children's performance level cannot be compared to that of senior masters, but we hope to take them on some activities and performances, planting the seeds of altruism and dedication in their hearts." Wang Peiyu said.

"Gathering Yayin, sharing the same path, and teaching the whole hall. May the Dharma class bring out outstanding skills." On the 15th, Wang Peiyu repeated the words engraved on the wall of the Yuyin Society, "Gathering Jingkunya Yin, working together with the Eight Directions of the same path, teaching the whole hall, imitating the predecessors of the science class, and allowing ancient art to spread, inherit, and shine with new vitality in various forms today."

From stage to screen, from Peking Opera to Kunqu Opera, from professional to mass, from adults to children, from education to public welfare, Wang Peiyu and his colleagues and students have taken the art of traditional Chinese opera to a broader world.

"Gathering Yayin, carrying the same path, teaching the whole hall. May the Dharma class perform outstandingly" is engraved on the wall of the Yuyin Society. Taken by Zhuge Yi