Canadian opera students explore Cantonese theatre traditions in China

A group of opera students from the University of British Columbia (UBC) immersed themselves in the world of Cantonese Opera during a cultural exchange event held on May 7 in Guangzhou, the capital of South China's Guangdong Province.

The visit offered the Canadian performers a rare opportunity to experience firsthand one of China's most revered traditional art forms. Cantonese Opera, which combines singing, dialogue, stylized movement, martial arts, and elaborate costumes, was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. It remains an essential part of cultural life in Cantonese-speaking regions of China, such as Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

"I'll definitely keep sharing Cantonese Opera videos with my friends," said Elizabeth Petersen, a member of the UBC delegation, who was struck by the physical expression and discipline required in Cantonese Opera during the session, which included workshops on makeup and performance techniques.

"The movements are small but quite challenging," she noted. "They're very elegant on stage. I think we'll try to bring some of that precision and presence into our own performances."

For Kenda McDermott, who works as a costume assistant at UBC, the experience was particularly meaningful.

"All the embroidery on Cantonese opera costumes is absolutely stunning," she said. "It takes a great deal of artistry to create them."

The workshop was part of a broader, month-long tour across China by the UBC opera ensemble, featuring performances of Thunderstorm, a Mandarin-language opera composed by Canadian artists Tang Kangnian and Emily Pan. The production is based on a landmark 1934 play by Chinese dramatist Cao Yu that explores the emotional turmoil within a wealthy family in 1920s China.

The tour, which began on April 30, spans nine cities including Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Harbin, and Nanjing. Organizers say it aims to deepen cross-cultural understanding through the performing arts and further strengthen the long-standing friendship between China and Canada.

"This experience will definitely inspire all of us," McDermott added.