About

Kathy Hall, an acclaimed performer and teacher working in the UK for over twenty years will take you from a brief historical perspective onto the principles of posture and movement, the role types and their characteristics, and the visual symbolism of the costumes.

Using exquisitely hand-embroidered costume items, she will give demonstration-performances of Kunqu and Jingju (Peking) opera excerpts.

The pursuit of love is explored… In The Peony Pavilion -In Pursuit of the Dream, it is young love in search of fulfilment; in The Imperial Concubine Intoxicated -the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, it is mature love bounded by many impositions.

Kathy has selected these two items to illustrate the lyricism characteristic of Kunqu music and the grandeur of this courtly Jingju piece.

There will also be short video clips of professional Chinese actors bringing live theatre to you.

To top it all, you can make the most of the opportunity to follow Kathy in the Workshop section to extend your limbs and your mind the Chinese Opera way, with sustained graceful energy!

* Suitable for ages 18+