In September 2022, the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe celebrated its 70th anniversary.
On September 1, 1952, the Ethnic Literature and Art Working Troupe of the Central Academy for Nationalities, the predecessor of the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe, was officially established in the auditorium of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission in Beijing. On the same day, people of all nationalities and generations gathered together to celebrate the birth of the "National Literary and Art Work Group". In February 1954, the National Literary Troupe was officially renamed the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe.
"Over the past 70 years, generations of art workers have unremitting pursuit and practice to create this 'flower of national art that never withers', and here also carries the 'Chinese nation family' of brotherhood, watch and help, you have me, I have you." Looking back at history, Wang Chenggang, head of the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe, national first-class performance supervisor, and vice chairman of the Beijing Dancers Association, is full of affection.
From creating a pure artistic atmosphere, innovating performance forms with modern technological means, to vigorously supporting the growth of artistic talents and deeply exploring national culture, Wang Chenggang is leading this ethnic minority literary and artistic "national team" to innovate on the road of the new era.
In the past August, the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe and the Beijing Haidian District Federation of Literary and Art Circles as the organizers, and the cross-border fusion theatrical art "Qi" produced by the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe was staged at the National Theater and appeared in the 11th Zhongguancun International Youth Art Season of "Mountains and Rivers Youth Era and Future". "This work that brings together the vocal music and dance of all ethnic groups, and the high integration of sound, light and electricity means is a tribute to our historical inheritance, and it is also our response to the era of focusing on building a community with a shared future for the Chinese nation and the development of the country."
Inherit classic and innovative forms in a pure artistic atmosphere
Founded in 1952, the Central Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe is the only state-level ethnic minority performing troupe in China.
"This is Jiang Dawei singing 'Where Peach Blossoms Bloom', this is Dedema, Rasurong, this is Rouzi Amuti, and Ngawang Lobsang Dhondup, 'Made by Yi People'... Since its establishment, the Central Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe has always adhered to the people-centered creative concept, carried out literary and artistic creations worthy of the times in deepening life and taking root in the people, and dedicated its colorful culture and art to the people of all ethnic groups, and was loved by the people of all ethnic groups. "Walking in the corridor of the Central National Song and Dance Troupe, dozens of photos of different periods and occasions carefully framed and hung on the walls on both sides connect the glorious history of the song and dance troupe rich in historical significance and quite the atmosphere of the times.
In the past 70 years of development, the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe has cultivated and brought up a large number of artists with both virtue and art, such as Yang Liping and Tengger, and created and staged "Yao Dance", "Guests from afar Please Stay", "The Spirit of the Sparrow", "Horses Galloping to Protect the Frontier", "Paradise" and other tasteful and stylish masterpieces. These songs and dances with a strong national flavor have been passed down through generations of Chinese people, and they are also the eternal voice in the hearts of countless people who have left home.
Artistic Director Wang Chenggang rehearsed and directed
As the head of the delegation, Wang Chenggang carefully cares for the rich and colorful national culture and makes them glow with the brilliance of the new era. In 2019, the third year of Wang Chenggang's arrival, the dance "War Horse" jointly performed by the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe and the Central University for Nationalities won the highest gold award of the 12th Lotus Cup Chinese Dance in Xichang, China. As a work with positive energy, infectious power and direct access to the heart, "War Horse" allows people to get spiritual and will satisfaction and happiness from the work, which can warm the heart and enlighten the mind. "The more the times develop, the more people need spiritual things, and the more they have to enter the theater to watch the performance, because the shocking performances on the actor's stage can often make the audience have a spiritual collision, something that refreshes the heart, can be comforted, resonated, and can meet emotional demands." Wang Chenggang said.
A few years ago, Wang Chenggang led the song and dance troupe to hold a special performance of national dance, and nearly 30 classic programs of ethnic minorities gathered. "Although it is a collection of classics, it is actually an old work familiar to the audience", he feels that such a special performance should not only attract the audience through high-quality performances, but also have a refreshing feeling, greater amount of information, and a stronger sense of substitution. Through poetry, ethnic instruments, and even video works, he connected the entire evening, so that the audience would not be aesthetically fatigued, and could learn more about the program and the backstory of that era through the multimedia scene. "There is no use of very complex and expensive technical means, just a few LED screens, which may bring a completely different artistic conception and viewing experience to the whole party." Wang Chenggang said.
In September 2021, the national instrumental music work "Endless Sound" premiered at the closing ceremony of the 6th National Ethnic Minorities Literary and Art Festival and was widely praised. This is a national instrumental work re-created by Liu Ye, a young composer in the troupe, based on the song "Fifty-Six Nationalities and Fifty-Six Flowers" written earlier by composer Yu Lichun. The new format did not dilute the original connotation of the song, but it gave the current audience a new feeling. Wang Chenggang believes that good literary and artistic works should be like the sunshine in the blue sky and the breeze in spring, which can enlighten the mind, warm the soul and cultivate life. The Central National Song and Dance Troupe wants to make such a work.
As the national team of Chinese national literature and art, the Central National Song and Dance Troupe is also an important force to serve the development of the country and unite people's hearts with art. Wang Chenggang said: "Through artistic creation, we have brought to the stage many stories of national unity and deep affection in the history of the Republic. For example, the theme evening "Ode to the Party", the dance special "Dance Home", the concert "Splendid China", etc., were not only loved by Chinese, but also loved and praised by the envoys of various countries in China who came to watch. ”
Since 2020, Wang Chenggang has led the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe into the Central Party School for two consecutive years to perform for the students, so that the students can have a better understanding of various ethnic cultures in the form of literature and art.
Director Wang Chenggang, the chief director of the Ethnic Minority Literary and Art Association, held a mobilization meeting
In 2021, under the background of the normalization of the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Wang Chenggang led the cast and crew of the song and dance troupe, inherited the glorious tradition, and once again hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the five-yearly National Ethnic Minorities Literary and Art Festival. The opening ceremony party "Unity and Endeavor for a New Journey" and the closing ceremony party "Create the Future and Share the Glory", with the consciousness of the Chinese national community as the main line, comprehensively use singing, dance, music, recitation, scene performance, musical and other art forms to create works with rich national style, strong atmosphere of the times and strong artistic appreciation, which concentrate on displaying the beauty of diversified and integrated Chinese culture, and play a positive role in promoting the construction of a common spiritual home of the Chinese nation.
Also this year, the National Centre for the Performing Arts' "Spring Online" series of performances opened a dance session, and the Central National Song and Dance Troupe "Dance Home" was selected among them. Among the colorful ethnic dances, 11 of them are selected as the creative theme, and the music with unique ethnic minority style is used as the connection of 12 works, bringing the audience into the vast grasslands, quiet mountains and forests, and majestic snow-capped mountains in advance, creating a comprehensive audio-visual experience for the appreciation of dance. The performance brought together many well-known dancers and musicians of ethnic minorities, which was an audio-visual feast with national characteristics.
"Through these programs, we want to tell wonderful and moving Chinese stories, so that more people can understand China, understand China's excellent national culture, and understand the happy life of people of all ethnic groups under the leadership of the Communist Party of China." Wang Chenggang said that this is the unshakable adherence of the Central National Song and Dance Troupe.
Go into ethnic areas, face to face with the masses, heart to heart
On July 20, a "Chinese Nation as a Family" condolence performance kicked off at the Orunchun Autonomous Banner. The Central Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe uses the artistic achievements of collecting traditional classics and going deep into the grassroots to collect styles, and displays the rich and colorful Chinese national song and dance art through vocal music, instrumental music, dance, sitcom and other stage forms, comprehensively presenting the splendid and harmonious beauty of the mainland's multi-ethnic countries, conveying the firm belief and good wishes of unity and harmony among all ethnic groups, and guiding the masses of all ethnic groups to become supporters, practitioners and promoters of the sense of community of the Chinese nation.
In the height of August, the heat is like fire. The cadres and masses of Guanling Miao Buyi Autonomous County in Guizhou Province are happier than the weather. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of Guanling Autonomous County, and on this occasion, the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe came to carry out cultural performances at the grassroots level and send cultural performances to the local cadres and masses, bringing a unique audiovisual cultural feast with national characteristics to the local cadres and masses.
It has always been the tradition of the Central Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe to go into grassroots life, into ethnic minority areas, and among the masses of all ethnic groups. In 1954, Mr. Fei Xiaotong, a sociologist and ethnologist who was the honorary head of the regiment at the time, put forward the slogan "Go to ethnic minority areas and build a regiment in life". All the members of the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe packed their bags and set off for the southwest region, where there are many ethnic minorities. At that time, it was only 10 days before the song and dance troupe was renamed.
Longsheng All Nationalities Autonomous County, Prefecture and County Qing
"We spend a third of our time at the grassroots level, among the people of all nationalities. When the troupe goes to perform at the grassroots level, I will basically go together. This year, we have just visited the Qianxian Miao Buyi Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou, and we will also go to Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province and Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province. Wang Chenggang will basically go with the actors, really go deep into the grassroots, face the people, and let the ethnic minority compatriots see the performances from the national-level ethnic theater troupe with a strong national atmosphere, which is something he is particularly happy about.
Everywhere you go, the programming of the Central Folk Song and Dance Troupe will combine local characteristics and put a lot of thought into it. "If we perform their own traditional songs and dances on stage, they will be very excited."
This year, when performing in Qiannan Prefecture, it was just in time for a rainy day. The road that was already difficult to walk is even more difficult. The performance was scheduled for the evening, but in the afternoon, Wang Chenggang could see the local people coming from all directions, "They are willing to wait for most of the day to come to see our performance, and every time the applause to the actors is particularly warm, we are proud to be recognized by the people." ”
Under normal circumstances, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the performance, the main performance of the Central National Song and Dance Troupe will be held in the main venue of the local county or town. But Wang Chenggang knew that in the remote mountain villages, there were still many people who not only could not go to the scene to watch the performance, but even never saw actors from professional theater troupes standing in front of him in their lives. In order to let more people see the show, after the main performance, the actors will divide into two or three groups, act separately, go deep into the fields, go deep into the mountains, and play songs for the local people in the village and on the field. "There are very few people in some places, and the actors start to sing face to face with everyone, and then the crowd takes the initiative to come up and take the actor's hand to watch you sing, and even sing with you. Really touching. Many warm moments froze in Wang Chenggang's mind.
Eleventh amusement park activity Wang group guidance work
Wang Chenggang remembers that in the pastoral areas of Inner Mongolia, herders dragged actors who had just finished performing into tents and kindly asked them to stay and eat hand-held meat. When performing in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province, at a high altitude of more than 5,000 meters, the actors only had one day to briefly adapt to the plateau environment, and the next day they were fully engaged. "The dancers are very hard, as long as they go on stage, this dance must keep dancing. Some actors may have to dance two or three, four or five dances a performance, and they are too tired to breathe. After stepping off the stage, I quickly took oxygen, and when it was time for my own show, I jumped on the stage again. No one felt that they couldn't jump, so they just rested there, and these young people felt that this was a shame. Wang Chenggang was moved by the dedication of the actors, and he knew that in their hearts, they all had deep feelings for the people and art as literary and artistic workers.
"We go down to the grassroots, to people of all ethnic groups. This kind of face-to-face and intimate communication is different from standing on the big stage. Wang Chenggang said that every time he walks into the grassroots, he will be touched by the people, "As a national-level national song and dance troupe, we need to give our best works to our brothers and sisters of all nationalities with such a down-to-earth and serious attitude." Only in this way can we live up to their expectations and enthusiasm."
The understanding of dance art will be integrated into the cultivation of young talents
Wang Chenggang began to learn dance "from scratch" in the fourth grade of primary school, and has been associated with him ever since.
"No one in my family was engaged in literary and artistic work, but when the teachers of the Qingdao Dance Troupe came to the school to select students, they chose me." Wang Chenggang remembers that the teacher called a few classmates to the office and made a few movements, and Wang Chenggang completed them one by one according to the teacher's instructions, and thus became a dance student of the Qingdao Dance Troupe. "Maybe the teacher thinks that I look more thoughtful, and my limbs are more coordinated when completing movements."
Although his parents didn't know much about how to "practice" dance, he agreed to this matter without hesitation with the purpose of letting the thin Wang Chenggang exercise.
11-year-old Wang Chenggang became one of eight dance students selected by the entire city of Qingdao that year. "Zero-based" he doesn't remember much about the hardships he endured when he practiced, but he remembers that not long after studying in the Qingdao Dance Troupe, they were sent to the Shanghai Dance School to study. In those boring days, Wang Chenggang trained hard. At that time, the routine was to get up before 6:30 in the morning to practice morning exercises, start classes at 8 o'clock, continue cultural classes in the afternoon, practice again after dinner, and end the whole day at about 9 o'clock in the evening. Wang Chenggang also often practiced by himself, "At that time, I was indeed more assiduous, I felt that it was not easy to study from my hometown to Shanghai, I cherished this opportunity, and I wanted to learn as much as possible." ”
After graduating from Shanghai Dance School, Wang Chenggang and his classmates returned to work in the Qingdao Song and Dance Troupe. Originally, life went on step by step, but Wang Chenggang studied hard to apply for the Beijing Dance Academy during his work. At the age of 20, Wang Chenggang became a freshman at the Beijing Dance Academy, specializing in ethnic folk dance. Here, he systematically came into contact with Mongolian, Tibetan, Uighur, Korean, Dai and other ethnic dances. "The hand shape and relatively convergent movements of Dai dance all contain traditional ethnic customs, clothing, and living habits, and the unrestrained dance of Mongolian dance is also closely related to their living in the open grassland." Immersed in the dances of various ethnic groups, Wang Chenggang felt the cultural origin of various ethnic groups and the breadth and depth of Chinese civilization.
On March 24, 2022, President Lin Libin and General Manager Yao Rui came to the delegation for research and exchange
The friendship for ethnic minority culture inadvertently sowed seeds in the heart of young Wang Chenggang. After graduating from university, he was assigned to the Beijing Song and Dance Theater, during which Wang Chenggang's attempt at dance art expanded from ethnic folk dance to modern dance, "At that time, the Beijing Song and Dance Troupe established the first modern dance troupe in the north, and I participated in the creation and innovation of a large number of modern dances, and had a deeper understanding and personal experience of the contemporary popular dance art in the West." The dance drama "Red and Black", which he participated in the creation and performance, won the Ministry of Culture Award and became a classic work in modern dance.
In the following years, Wang Chenggang went from actor to dance team captain and vice president, and finally director of the Beijing Opera and Dance Theater. During this period, he launched many musicals and dance drama works such as the dance drama "Love Heaven Hate the Sea Yuanmingyuan", "The Great Wall of the Silk Road" and the musical "Tianqiao", which were both applauded and sold. In the face of applause and high market recognition, Wang Chenggang always modestly hides himself behind the scenes and leaves applause to the front-line cast and crew. Born on stage, he knows that the audience's recognition inspires and motivates the actors.
Look at the world, and then look at yourself. In the past few years, Wang Chenggang's understanding of national culture and his pursuit of pure art have been further advanced. He began to look back at the national dance and strongly realized that "it was still too conservative, and on the basis of the original inheritance, our dance beauty should be presented and expressed, and we must innovate." ”
From imitating one move and one by one according to the teacher's requirements, to incorporating new technical means for second creation. Wang Chenggang's dance has since become more personal and spiritual. "National culture is thousands of years, but it cannot be the same on the stage."
In 2017, Wang Chenggang was transferred to work in the Central National Song and Dance Troupe, and has served as the head of the troupe since 2020. Today, his understanding of dance art and national culture has been more endowed by him to the talent training of the Central National Song and Dance Troupe.
Because he was born as a dancer and has grown up from the front line to the present, Wang Chenggang knows the importance of training young talents. "In dance, especially ethnic dance, it is very important for actors to excavate, select and cultivate. The artistic career of dancers is short, just a few short years, excellent talents will be overwhelmed if not cultivated in time. "In the Central National Song and Dance Troupe, Wang Chenggang attaches great importance to the growth of actors and does his best to create opportunities and provide platforms for actors of all ages.
For many ethnic minorities, song and dance are their roots and cultural heritage. However, in the fast-paced world, art forms such as oral teaching, niche folk songs and dances are slowly becoming less attractive to young people. Everyone is immersed in the fast-paced life, and it seems that they have slowly forgotten the traditional art of their own people. As the only national national song and dance troupe leader in China, Wang Chenggang always did not forget to ask what outstanding ethnic song and dance enthusiasts and inheritors there were in the local area when leading the troupe to perform grassroots performances and research in ethnic minority areas, even if it was a long way, he also tried to squeeze time to understand and investigate on the spot, "We are the national team of ethnic minority song and dance art, we must provide opportunities and build a platform for more ethnic minority art workers, train and explore more ethnic minority actors, and let those little-known, ethnic minority arts be inherited." , to be continued, to be carried forward. ”
Condolences to the old cadre Hu Songhua
Adhering to fairness and sincerity, Wang Chenggang has extensively connected new and old artists of all nationalities, invited them to fully display their strengths, and jointly contributed to the Central National Song and Dance Troupe's more high-quality works. "Each actor has different conditions and different expressions, so according to the different national attributes and artistic elements of national songs and dances, let the actors explore their own malleable characteristics, and then let these characteristics be amplified and presented through artistic expression." He is happy to see artists bring their works to the Central National Song and Dance Troupe, continuing their indelible pursuit of art in their lives.
Today, from the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains, the Mongolian steppe, the Banna jungle, under the Changbai Mountain... With persistent pursuit and professionalism, more than 400 cast and crew members from 37 nationalities including Mongolian, Hui, Zhuang, Tibetan and Uygur dedicate and display colorful national customs and unique customs and wonders with love for art, hometown, life and motherland.
Seventy years have been full of hardships and glory. Starting the journey again, Wang Chenggang was firm in his heart and full of expectations: "In the future creation, we will make good use of the unique ethnic minority songs and dances of the Central Ethnic Song and Dance Troupe, continue to explore the excellent cultural resources and materials of ethnic minorities, explore the new era of cultural expression, adapt to the aesthetic needs of the audience in the new era, adhere to the people's position, adhere to creative transformation and innovative development, return to the people with artistic practices that originate from life and are higher than life, and use art to tell the Chinese story of brotherhood and mutual help." Sing the song of a better life, show the dance of upright innovation, play the rhyme of national unity, and show the endless people's epic. ”
This article was first published on the Times Faces all-media platform
Planner| Zhang Qiang
Written by | He Nan
Editor| Bo Tsai