Miss Qi’s Cantonese Opera Performance

Tonight, I have attended my Cantonese opera instructress, Miss Qi Chao Qun’s performance. It was very inspiring for young opera actress like me. Miss Qi has a very remarkable voice in singing the “Hua Dan” role. Her “shui xiu” (literally translated as water sleeves as the sleeves moves like the ripples of water) technique and movements are gentle and demure, like the character she played. I was fascinated by her acting too.
Initially, she wanted me to help in one of the supporting roles. This role has quite a bit of singing and acting involved. However, I had rejected as at the time of the first rehearsal, I discovered that I was pregnant. Anyhow, I am glad that I manage to see the performance instead as I always believe that watching others perform is a very good form of learning as well. You get to see other people’s good and bad performance and you learn from it.

Miss Qi and her husband, Mr Lau.

My teacher Qi Chao Qun and myself.

Miss Qi and her students.

Mid-Autumn 2006 Performance

Although I am now into my 3rd month of pregnancy, I still carry on with some opera performances. The Mid-Autumn 2006 performance at Albert Court is a success. Some of my former opera classmates commented that I have shown great improvements in my singing. Thanks to my current teacher Miss Qi Chao Qun from Shenzhen, China. She is very dedicated in her teaching. Miss Qi has corrected some of my bad habits in singing and pronunciation. As a Mandarin speaker, I don’t speak enough Cantonese like the HongKongers. So, in order to train my Cantonese language, I often recite the lyrics just so as to ensure that I speak more perfect Cantonese. However, to speak and sing Cantonese in an Opera format, well that is another challenge as you not only have to sing but also to make sure people understood what you are singing. There’s still lots to learn from this age-old art form.
Here, I would like to take this opportunity to thank one person. She came to see my performance. I did not even manage to take a snapshot with her. She is my opera movement teacher, Miss Huang Ping from Beijing, China. Miss Huang is currently teaching at Potong Pasir C.C. She is a very dedicated teacher. Very good with all the movements especially involving weapons like the spears and the swords. So, if you want to be a “dao ma dan” (which is a wushu huadan), then you should learn from her.

Waiting leisurely for my show…

An enthusiastic performer.

Mildred Kan (taking the male role) and myself (the female role). Our song titled: Luo Shui Meng Hu

Miss Qi Chao Qun (lady in white) among the audience.

With Janny Leung, who is an excellent Canto-opera female actress and also my good pal who gives real good advices.

Justin Lee, who also appreciates Canto-opera, came to see my performance. Look at the lovely presents I got from him. So sweet!

Justin, Kelvin Tan and his girlfriend also came for the show. Young potential audience?

Despite her busy schedule, Sui Lan (lady in black t-shirt) came with her friends for my performance. I hope they had a wonderful time. Sui Lan is also another good advisor on singing technique. One should listen to her singing. So “Man” (she sings the male role)!

Miss Qi Chao Qun and her students (the boy is her son and the little girl is someone’s grand-daughter).

Charity Show on 22nd July 2006

A friend from my opera movement class asked me to help in a supporting role for her opera association’s charity performance. I don’t mind at all as I think that each performance I take is a form of practise, whether or not you are playing a supporting role or being the lead actress. I am eager to put my makeup technique to use as this is the time to test my skills and level of professionalism. And the results? I got a few compliments from the senior actors. I am very motivated. Looking forward to doing my next stage makeup very soon.

A chambermaid’s charm.

Have a snapshot taken for reference before heading to the basin.

My two ardent fans…

Cantonese Opera Make-up Class

One of the things a good opera actor/actress has to know is how to apply opera makeup for their roles. Whether you are a Hua Dan (lead actress), Xiao Sheng (lead actor), Lao Dan (elderly actress) or Chou Sheng (comedian actor), you have your own unique type of makeup. For me, I am a Hua Dan. So, I have to learn how to makeup a face of a Hua Dan. Each of us is unique as our facial features and shape of the face is different. In opera makeup, you have to know your face structure well in order to enhance the assets of your features and play down those less blessed areas. The class is held at Kolam Ayer Community Club every friday evening. Our teacher Miss Qi Chao Qun is very dedicated in teaching us the techniques of opera makeup. Being a professional opera actress herself for almost 30 years, she is very knowledgeable in this field. Most of us in class are opera enthusiasts. Some of my classmates are what I called “part-time professional” which means they are as good as the professionals but they do opera as a hobby basis and don’t rely on it as a job. All of us enjoy the makeup class. Especially some of them who are executives in corporate firms. After a day of hard work and at the end of the week, they come here to dabble with paints and colours, applying leisurely on their face… Janny, my friend even finds it therapeutic! Although it is quite a hassle to remove it lateron (sometimes we would find it a waste, especially if the makeup is beautiful that day), but we all enjoy it very much.

I look very different in opera makeup, don’t I? That itself is an art. Hmm…personally, I think it could be even better. I took 2hrs to do this makeup. For this class, we learn just the makeup. The hairstyling technique will come later as that area is another different art form we have yet to learn.

Another day of practise. This time, I prefer the look of my left eye and my lips.