- Quyi
Quyi (Simplified: 曲艺; Traditional: 曲藝;
pinyin : qǔyì) is a Chinese performance art consisted of narrative storytelling using staged monologues and dialogues. It is mostly a spoken performance, and is generally not a full-fledged theatrical play. It should not be confused withChinese opera .History
While the storytelling art concept has been around for centuries, the narrative art concept was mostly recognized in the 1920s. Only after 1949 with the founding of the
People's Republic of China did the term "quyi" become widely used. Prior to this, it was just classified as "Singing and Telling arts" (说唱艺术 / 說唱藝術, shuōchàng yìshù)Børdahl, Vibeke. [1996] (1996). The Oral Tradition of Yangzhou Storytelling. Routledge publishing. ISBN 0700704361] . This is one of the art category that gained momentum since theNew Culture Movement . With the exception of theCultural Revolution period, a great number of stories written for this art are preserved.Presentation
The story is usually told by a small number of people. The most standard number is 1 or 2, sometimes extending to 4 or higher. "Quyi" is often accompanied by clappers, drums, or stringed instruments, with the presenter wearing costumes at times. Unlike Chinese operas which has a fixed style for costume, "quyi" costumes vary depending on the era of the story plot. Costumes range from dynastic period "
hanfu " to the more modern "qipao " or even suits.The language used is usually associated with the spoken dialect of the local area. Sometimes it uses rhymed verse, some in prose, and some combine both. A lot of body movements may be used in the portrayal of the characters in the story. Each person may play multiple roles for multiple characters in the story. It is also this local and regional feel for the art that some would classify it as
Chinese folk art .Regions
Outside of
mainland China , this entertainment form is also found inTaiwan .ee also
*
Shuochang
*Xiangsheng
*Chinese art References
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