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Errentai
''Errentai'', also known as ''Errenban'', ''Dawanyi'er'', ''Shuangwanyi'er'', and ''Bengbeng'', is a genre of Chinese opera performed by two singers. It is popular in Fugu County and Shenmu County in northern Shaanxi, Hequ County in northwestern Shanxi, Kangbao County in northwestern Hebei, and areas near Baotou, Hohhot, and the Ordos Plateau in Inner Mongolia. In 2006, ''errentai'' was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage by the government of China. History ''Errentai'' traces its history back to the 18th century during the Qing dynasty. It originated in Shanxi and later spread to western Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, and Hebei. The songs are derived from folk songs; as such, different styles are developed in different areas. Performance ''Errentai'' is performed by two singers, one acting in the ''dan'' (female) role and another in the '' chou'' (male clown) role. Traditionally both roles were portrayed by men, but the ''dan'' role is typically portrayed by actres ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Opera
Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more than a thousand years, reaching its mature form in the 13th century, during the Song dynasty (960–1279 AD). Early forms of Chinese theater are simple; however, over time, various art forms such as music, song and dance, martial arts, acrobatics, costume and make-up art, as well as literary art forms were incorporated to form traditional Chinese opera. Performers had to practice for many years to gain an understanding of the roles. Exaggerated features and colors made it easier for the audience to identify the roles portrayed by the performers. There are over a hundred regional branches of traditional Chinese opera today. In the 20th century, the Peking opera emerged in popularity and has come to be known as the "national theatre" of China ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Errenzhuan
''Errenzhuan'' ( zh, t= 二人轉, s= 二人转, p=Èrrénzhuàn, lit. "two-people rotation") is a genre of musical theater and folk dance from Northeast China, usually involving two performers (one male and one female). The dance uses folding fans or square-shaped red handkerchiefs, which are twirled as the songs are performed. It is popular due to its comedic dialogue and sketches, which have obfuscated the old dances and songs. ''Errenzhuan'' was previously called a "double play". It may consist of half-class opera, small ''yangko'', ''fengliu'', Spring Song, double side songs, bouncing, or Northeastern local opera written by the people of Northeast China. This form of performance emerged at the beginning of the 21st century as a folk art of Northeast China. Errenzhuan means ‘two people’ (''erren'') ‘telling stories through performing different roles’ (''zhuan''). ''Errenzhuan'' is one of the particular forms of Chinese walking-singing, which was famous in many northe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dizi (instrument)
The ''dizi'' (, pronounced ), is a Chinese transverse flute. It is also sometimes known as the ''di'' () or ''héngdi'' (), and has varieties including Qudi (), Bangdi (), and Xindi (). It is a major Chinese musical instrument that is widely used in many genres of Chinese folk music, Chinese opera, as well as the modern Chinese orchestra. The ''dizi'' is also a popular instrument among the Chinese people as it is simple to make and easy to carry. Most ''dizi'' are made of bamboo, which explains why ''dizi'' are sometimes known by simple names such as Chinese bamboo flute. However, "bamboo" is perhaps more of a Chinese instrument classification like "woodwind" in the West. Northern Chinese ''dizi'' are made from purple or violet bamboo, while ''dizi'' made in Suzhou and Hangzhou are made from white bamboo. ''Dizi'' produced in southern Chinese regions such as Chaozhou are often made of very slender, lightweight, light-colored bamboo and are much quieter in tone. Although b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Scarecrow Press
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an American independent academic publishing company founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing company National Book Network based in Lanham, Maryland. History The current company took shape when the University Press of America acquired Rowman & Littlefield in 1988 and took the Rowman & Littlefield name for the parent company. Since 2013, there has also been an affiliated company based in London called Rowman & Littlefield International. It is editorially independent and publishes only academic books in Philosophy, Politics & International Relations and Cultural Studies. The company sponsors the Rowman & Littlefield Award in Innovative Teaching, the only national teaching award in political science given in the United States. It is awarded annually by the American Political Science Association for people whos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Culture In Shanxi
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, attitudes, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tylor, Edward. (1871). ''Primitive Culture''. Vol 1. New York: J. P. Putnam's Son Culture often originates from or is attributed to a specific region or location. Humans acquire culture through the learning processes of enculturation and socialization, which is shown by the diversity of cultures across societies. A cultural norm codifies acceptable conduct in society; it serves as a guideline for behavior, dress, language, and demeanor in a situation, which serves as a template for expectations in a social group. Accepting only a monoculture in a social group can bear risks, just as a single species can wither in the face of environmental change, for lack of functional responses to the change. Thus in military culture, valor is counted a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Woodblock (instrument)
A woodblock (also spelled as two words, wood block) is a small slit drum made from a single piece of wood. The term generally signifies the Classical music, Western orchestral instrument, but may also refer to the Wooden fish, Chinese woodblock. In ragtime and jazz music, it is also known as the clog box or tap box. In orchestral music scores, woodblocks may be indicated by the French ''bloc de bois'' or ''tambour de bois'', German ''Holzblock'' or ''Holzblocktrommel'', or Italian ''cassa di legno''. The orchestral woodblock of the West is generally made from teak or another hardwood. The dimensions of this instrument vary, although it is either a rectangular or cylindrical block of wood with one or sometimes two longitudinal cavities. It is played by striking it with a stick, which produces a sharp crack. Alternatively, a rounder mallet, soft or hard, may be used, which produces a deeper-pitched and fuller "knocking" sound. On a drum kit, a woodblock is traditionally mounted on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yangqin
The trapezoidal yangqin () is a Chinese hammered dulcimer, likely derived from the Iranian santur or the European dulcimer. It used to be written with the characters 洋 琴 (lit. "foreign zither"), but over time the first character changed to 揚 (also pronounced "yáng"), which means "acclaimed". It is also spelled yang ch'in. Hammered dulcimers of various types are now very popular not only in China, but also Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India, Iran, and Pakistan. The instruments are also sometimes known by the names " santoor" and " cymbalom". This instrument had an influence on the Thai classical instrument, known as Khim (ขิม). The yangqin was traditionally fitted with bronze strings (though older Chinese stringed instruments used silk strings, resulting in their, and the yangqin's, categorisation as a silk, or "si" instrument), which gave the instrument a soft timbre. This form of instrument is still occasionally heard today in the "hudie qin" (蝴蝶琴, lit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sihu (instrument)
The ''sihu'' () (known as a / / ''khuuchir'' in Mongolia, where this term defines the whole ''huqin'' family) is a Chinese bowed string instrument with four strings. It is a member of the ''huqin'' family of instruments. Construction The instrument's name comes from the words ''sì'' (四, meaning "four" in Chinese, referring to the instrument's number of strings) and ''hú'' (胡, short for ''huqin'', the family of instruments of which the ''sihu'' is a member). Its soundbox and neck are made from hardwood and the playing end of the soundbox is covered with python, cow, or sheep skin. There are several sizes of ''sihu''; the lowest of these is generally tuned C, C, G, G; the medium size is tuned G, G, D, D; and the smallest size is tuned D, D, A, A. Technique The instrument is held vertically, with its soundbox on the player's lap, and its strings are tuned in pairs. The bow, usually made of horsetail hair, is grouped into two strands to enable both pairs of strings to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Folding Fan
A handheld fan, or simply hand fan, is a broad, flat surface that is waved back and forth to create an airflow. Generally, purpose-made handheld fans are folding fans, which are shaped like a sector of a circle and made of a thin material (such as paper or feathers) mounted on slats which revolve around a pivot so that it can be closed when not in use. Hand fans were used before mechanical fans were invented. Fans work by utilizing the concepts of thermodynamics. On human skin, the airflow from hand fans increases the evaporation rate of sweat, lowering body temperature due to the latent heat of the evaporation of water. It also increases heat convection by displacing the warmer air produced by body heat that surrounds the skin, which has an additional cooling effect, provided that the ambient air temperature is lower than the skin temperature, which is typically about . Next to the folding fan, the rigid hand screen fan was also a highly decorative and desired object among the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chou Role
The ''Chou'' is the clown role in Chinese opera. The usually plays secondary roles in a troupe. Peking opera Most studies of Peking opera classify the as a minor role. roles can be divided into (文丑), civilian roles such as merchants and jailers, and (武丑), minor military roles. The is one of the most demanding in Peking opera, because of its combination of comic acting, acrobatics, and a strong voice. characters are generally amusing and likable, if a bit foolish. Their costumes range from simple for characters of lower status to elaborate, perhaps overly so, for high status characters. characters wear special face paint, called , that differs from that of characters. The defining characteristic of this type of face paint is a small patch of white chalk around the nose. This can represent either a mean and secretive nature or a quick wit. Originally, there were five roles in Beijing opera, but the last role "Mo" became a part of "Chou". Beneath the whimsical perso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dan Role
''Dan'' is the general name for female roles in Chinese opera, often referring to leading roles. They may be played by male or female actors. In the early years of Peking opera, all roles were played by men, but this practice is no longer common in any Chinese opera genre. Male ''dan'' actors Male actors who specialize in playing ''dan'' are referred to as ''nándàn'' (男旦); the practice arose during the Qing dynasty due to imperial prohibitions against women performing on stage, considered detrimental to public morality. This practice of female impersonation by male actors was led by Mei Lanfang, one of the most famous dan performers. In the early years of Peking opera, all roles were played by men. Wei Changsheng, a male performer in the Qing court, developed the , or "false foot" technique, to simulate the bound feet of women and the characteristic gait that resulted from the practice. In the late Qing dynasty and the early republic, the performance of actresses beca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
