It has been the 13th year since the Shanghai Summer School Traditional Chinese Opera Program was first offered at our university in 2011 with the support of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. After an interval of three years, the Shanghai Theater Academy once again welcomed the arrival at its campus of foreign students from all over the world, including 33 students from Russia, Mongolia, Canada, Turkey, Colombia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Belarus, Vietnam, Germany, Iran, Singapore, Greece and Brazil, to personally experience the charm of Chinese performing arts and the humanistic environment of Shanghai.
The program mainly includes the performance and theory of traditional Chinese opera and Chinese culture. Students can personally experience the four skills and five techniques of traditional Chinese opera performance, acquire an understanding of various aspects of traditional Chinese opera, and also visit the artistic and cultural venues in Shanghai. Besides, the annual "Belt and Road Art Talent Training Program" is also held simultaneously with the Shanghai Summer School, and also adds a co-shared course with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
On the first day of the class on June 15th, Professor Gong Baorong, Dean of the International College and Director of the Center for Foreign Drama Studies, delivered a welcome speech to the students and expressed his sincere hope for the course and participating students. Some former students have chosen to continue applying for a degree in Peking Opera after the course is over, while others have returned to their own countries to publish articles on Chinese Peking Opera and even published books. I hope this project can also bring fruitful learning outcomes to students, while strengthening communication and friendship between different nationalities and cultures.
