Igniting a Fire of Expression: Chinese Drama Sets the Stage for a Lifelong Passion for Theatre
On the evening of October 26, the Keystone Performing Arts Center (PAC) was full of eager audience members excitedly awaiting the start of the Primary School Chinese Drama. This year, the Chinese Drama returned after a 3-year hiatus to perform the classical Chinese story of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King. During the performance’s three-night run, students captivated audiences with their impressive rendition of this timeless tale, creating an amazing celebration of culture and theater at Keystone. The impact that these young performers had on their audience, and the influence that gained from the stage will last well beyond the three nights of performance.
After the final curtain, performance goers raved about this stunning rendition of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King. Being the first Chinese Drama performance since 2020, and the first one with a full audience since 2019’s Mulan, this year’s drama was certainly a memorable occasion. A Keystone Activities Program (KAP) activity, Chinese Drama is an important part of Keystone’s theatrical productions. It gives Primary School students their first chance to collaborate as part of a large-scale production, empowering them to be confident performers who feel at home on the stage.
In addition to being a fantastic opportunity for those involved, Chinese Drama is also an excellent example of the school’s keystones of bilingual immersion in Chinese and English and promoting Chinese culture and identity in a world context. The Chinese Thread is the base woven into the Keystone cloth, and Chinese Drama is an important way of promoting Chinese culture through performance art. In fact, when selecting what to perform, Dance and Drama Teacher Ms. Queenie Qi purposefully picks a piece that comes from traditional cultural stories. In this way, both performers and audience can gain a deeper understanding of China’s rich culture of performance and connect with characters from classical Chinese tales.
After selecting the story of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King for this year’s performance, the students got to work rehearsing their lines and songs. Preparation began about one year ago, and, due to PAC renovations, the shows had to be delayed. In fact, this meant that some students had already moved to Grade 6 in the Keystone Middle School, but they still came back to work with their partners in Grades 4 and 5 to keep the show going. Students met weekly during KAP time to work together on the drama. As opening night neared, rehearsals became daily events, and students even worked on weekends to perfect their performances. “Although they were nervous on opening night, by the final performance the students were already very open and happy,” Ms. Qi explains. All the students’ hard work paid off and made this year’s Chinese drama a stunning success.
Through all the effort students put into this production, they were closely supported by teachers and parents. Since Nezha Conquers the Dragon King is a classical story, Ms. Qi had to work hard with writers and composers to come up with scripts and music from the ground up. Teachers and parents all assisted in setting up the drama, and dozens of parents and teachers even worked backstage during the PAC performances to ensure that the shows went off without a hitch. The collaboration between students, parents, and teachers made this community event even more special.
Perhaps the ones who best appreciated the magnitude of this event were the performers themselves. In addition to gaining confidence on the stage, performing in front of a packed crowd ignited a spark for the passion of theatre in the hearts of the performers. One Grade 6 student even asked if he could come back to Primary School to join in next year’s production. Although many of the actors will move on to Middle School, they can continue to explore the world of drama through classes and KAPs. “Primary students, no matter if they are involved in English Drama or Chinese Drama, will continue to pursue drama when they get to Middle School,” Ms. Qi reveals. The student performer’s passion was evident on stage during Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, and they will keep the fire of performance lit long after the final curtain call.
