Chinese Opera Training Exercise Gets Positive Feedback

A new pilot project aimed at reporting on the performance of first year students at China Women’s University (CWU) came to a close at the university's north campus hall recently. One topic reported on was a "Training Exercise for Manners Based on Traditional Chinese Opera", designed by members of the teaching and research department of the Manners and Cultivation of Gender and Social Development School. The report was well received.

The training approach aimed to help learners who have developed bad manners through long time-habits. Traditional Chinese opera offers instructions in sitting, standing, walking, replying and following through in people's daily lives, from a strong standpoint of traditional Chinese culture. 

According to the training theories and through many years of practical experience, teachers created and applied the "Chinese Opera Goes to the Campus" approach at the university. It has proved an effective, long-term way of helping the formation of good habits based on the most basic manners in daily life. This method was well received and achieved positive comments at the event. 

Sun Huizhu, doctoral supervisor and vice-president of Shanghai Theater Academy and director of United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) international colleges and universities in the Asia-Pacific bureau highly approved of the comprehensive and open design of the plans, especially one training exercise.

This exercise consists of two parts, each seven minutes. The first part includes exercising fingers, palms, fists, shoulders, standing, sitting, opening doors, smelling flowers, serving tea, saluting and giving way; the second part contextualized these basic actions by enabling learners to experience the aesthetics brought about by the elegant manners of the training.

The teaching and research office will reinforce the outcome of the innovative practice by further studying teaching rules, designing accessible actions and recording audio training CDs through the form of workshops. The promotion of such manners at college will become a cultural activity on campus, helping learners behave elegantly and making a contribution towards the goal of gracefully cultivating talent for the college.

(Source: cwu.edu.cn/Translated and edited by Women of China)