During the recent Bok Festival organized by Macau non-governmental organizations, Living Dancing Studio, founded by the experienced Beijing-based dancer Wen Hui, brought to the Festival a documentary performance called Red. The play was inspired by the revolutionary model opera The Red Detachment of Women. The thrilling performance focused on the memories of the individual under a grand historical background.
A revolution model opera refers to the theatrical works between 1967 and 1976 that adhered to the Chinese communist ideology and were sanctioned (or even partly instructed) by the regime. During the Cultural Revolution there was a saying: Eight (model) operas for eight hundred million people. These include the Beijing operas, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, The Harbor, The Legend of the Red Lantern, Shajiabang and Raid the White Tiger Regiment, ballet performances The Red Detachment of Women, The White Haired Girl and the symphony Shajiabang.
In fact, The Red Detachment of Women was not created because of the Cultural Revolution. The renowned Chinese director Xie Jin had already created a cinematic version of it, which had become a huge success, with the leading actress Zhu Xijuan (playing the role of Wu Qionghua) and supporting actor Chen Qiang (playing the role of the landlord Nan Batian) awarded Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actor by the Hundred Flowers Awards. This is why the film was adapted for the namesake ballet performance and was widely promoted during the Cultural Revolution as a revolutionary opera.
This is where Red is from: the play removes itself from the historical narrative and focuses on the insignificant individuals situated in the gaps of the great era. The four performances in Red belong to three different generations: Liu Zhuying, born in the 1950s, was a former member of The Red Detachment of Women’s performance crew; Wen Hui, born in the 1970s, is a core member of the Red production team; Jiang Fan, born in the 1980s, had received professional dance training; and Li Xinmin, who was also born in the 1980s and wasn’t professionally trained in dance. These four people, who have different perspectives on life and social classes, respond to the generational memories and personal stories in The Red Detachment of Women.
The Red Detachment of Women has, without a doubt, become more than just a theatrical creation, but also a performance that has a profound connection with a generation. Even the staging of it can carry deep political connotation. When Bo Xilai was promoting the red culture movement in Chongqine, The Red Detachment of Women was one of the performances staged. This is a clear indication that, despite the passing of half a century, there is still an inextricable connection between politics and arts.
This year sees the 50th anniversary of the Cultural Revolution. The chaos that took place half a century ago has impacted a whole generation of China and left some indelible traces on their lives. Looking back to the past, even if we were only some small potatoes, we still have the responsibility to bear the consequences: to guard and spread the memories so that future generations can learn from them and not make the same mistake again.
