The technical demands of Cantonese opera require that performers achieve expert skills in five different stage arts: singing, acting, recital, martial arts and dance.

In this series of two talks by experienced Cantonese opera performers, Xie Xiaoyu, a specialist in dan (female roles) and Ng Lap-hei, a specialist in sheng (male roles), take an individual look at the stage movements related to specific roles. Using videos and live demonstrations, they each examine the formulaic gestures used to convey meaning through the body and through facial expressions, explore the use of stage movement patterns and the specific movements used in different roles, and look at how acting, martial arts and dancing are combined to convey the unfolding of plot.

Talk 1: The Stage Movements of Cantonese Opera: Male Roles｜Talk 2: The Stage Movements of Cantonese Opera: Female Roles 

Talk 1: The Stage Movements of Cantonese Opera: Male Roles

Date:
26 January 2021 (Tuesday)

Time:
7:30pm–9:00pm

Venue:
The talk will be conducted through Youtube. Registered participants will receive a streaming link with their confirmation email.

Speaker:
Ng Lap-hei

Register to attend online

Talk 2: The Stage Movements of Cantonese Opera: Female Roles

Date:
23 February 2021 (Tuesday) 

Time:
7:30pm–9:00pm

Venue:
Seminar Hall, 2/F, Xiqu Centre

Speaker:
Xie Xiaoyu

Register to attend the event at the Xiqu Centre

Language:
Cantonese

Fee:
Free admission. Limited capacity on a first come, first served basis. Please register online in advance.

Enquiries:
Please contact Ms Chan at (852) 2200 0812 during office hours or email learning@wkcda.hk.

Remarks:
For the safety of participants, visitors, artists and staff, please note the following health precautions:

• Please bring your own mask and wear it at all times in the venue.
• Temperature checks will be carried out before admission. Visitors showing a temperature of 37.5°C or above will not be able to participate.
• If you have travelled outside of Hong Kong in the past 14 days or are wearing a home quarantine tracking wristband, please wait until your quarantine period is over before visiting West Kowloon.
• Special Arrangements in Response to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Accessibility Services:
Live Cantonese audio description and Hong Kong sign language interpretation are available for these talks upon request with at least 14 days’ advance notice. Please note that these services are available for participants attending the talk at the Xiqu Centre only and not for the online streaming. Wheelchair accessible seats and companion seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Please request at least four days in advance.

Adverse Weather Arrangements:
If a black rainstorm warning or a typhoon signal no. 8 or above is in force three hours before the start of the event, the event will be rescheduled or cancelled.

About the Speakers:

Ng Lap-hei

A graduate of The Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong, Ng Lap-hei is currently an actor in the Cantonese Opera Young Talent Showcase at the Yau Ma Tei Theatre. Ng studied under Wong Yee-man, Yeung Ming, Zhou Zhenbang, Guan Shizhen, He Jiayao and Tsai Win-wei, and was recognised as champion of the Lim Por Yen Trophy Cantonese Opera Excerpt Division and the Hong Kong Youth Cultural and Arts Competition in 2011. In 2020, he has won the Award for Young Artist (Xiqu) presented by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. His recent performances include The Eight Mallets, The Battle of Changban Po and Lo Faa Dong.

Xie Xiaoyu

Xie Xiaoyu graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Xie is an experienced performer and a specialist in the dan role.