Encountering Chinese Culture

A First-Year Ampersand Program

Encountering Chinese Culture: A Performative Perspective on Chinese Culture and Identity

This course will introduce students to the variety and rich history of the Chinese visual and performance cultures of the Chinese Mainland, in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and throughout the Chinese diaspora. A collaboration between the East Asian Languages and Cultures and Performing Arts Departments, this course explores Chinese cultural narratives in relation to how they have been performed—on stage, on screen, and as experienced in everyday life—from the imperial period to the present. It includes a hands-on component that introduces students to jingju (Beijing opera) instrumental music, and stage makeup, as well as the four main performance skills: singing, speaking, dance-acting, and combat. Combining creative and critical assignments, the course invites students to rehearse songs, dance pieces, and fight sequences, to stage plays, and to create videos that demonstrate their developing knowledge of historical and contemporary Chinese culture. This course is only for first-year, non-transfer students in the Encountering Chinese Culture Ampersand Program.

How to Apply

The application process for first-year programs and seminars opens in mid-May. You will need your WUSTL Key to apply, so please be sure to sign up for your WUSTL Key at least 24 hours in advance to activate. There will be a link to the application webform on the First-Year Programs homepage during this time for you to sign up. A statement of interest (no more than 500 words) is required when you submit your application online.

First-Year Program Homepage

The Courses

This two-semester freshman course focuses on the cultures of China and the Chinese diaspora. In Fall 2023, the course will introduce students to the premodern and modern history of Chinese theatre, through an examination of the way dramatic literature, theatrical performance, and spectatorship has developed, as well as the way Chinese theatre has engaged historical experience and interacted with significant social, political, and cultural issues. Readings will be drawn from sources in theatre, literature, history, and art. Pertinent visual materials, e.g., slides and videos, will be reviewed and considered. The course also intends to provide students with immersive and intensive physical and vocal training in jingju (Beijing opera), a total theatre form that synthesizes all the major elements of performing arts. The rigorous style of training will closely mimic the training of pre-professionals in China, as well as the master-apprentice training system followed in jingju, from its day-to-day protocol to its ties to larger cultural practices and issues. Students will also learn stage makeup techniques for two of the four major role categories in jingju, namely sheng (male role), dan (female role), jing (painted-face role), and chou (comic role).

 

In Spring 2024, students will be introduced to the canonical works of theatre and film in modern and contemporary performance culture of Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, along with those of the Chinese diaspora. The course will present a critical re-evaluation of what Chinese and Chinese culture mean by looking at various works by diasporic Chinese, Western representations of Chinese culture, and films and performances that transcend national boundaries. Students will also examine the development of modern Chinese culture and its dynamic relationship with tradition and innovation. Rigorous jingju performance training will continue this semester. Additionally, students will be introduced to, and have the opportunity to play, the drum, the large and small gongs, and the cymbals that are used in the jingju percussive orchestra. The course will conclude with an English-language jingju production and an original student-directed film/play that incorporate the year's course.

The Trip

*The Ampersand Program typically includes an international travel component. At this time, however, this component could be affected by federal and local guidelines related to health, safety, and security considerations. This program's main academic component will not be affected. 

A summer trip to China is meant to accomplish three goals: 1) to immerse students in the Chinese culture by allowing them to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world experiences; 2) to familiarize them with the performing arts scene, with a focus on dance and drama; and 3) to introduce them to a "performance studies" approach to understanding cultural differences by experiencing the everyday performance cultures practiced by people in China (e.g., taking public transportation, shopping at the market, visiting the historical sites, etc.). As a bonus, the Ampersand trip offers students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience China and Chinese culture with a close cohort of fellow students, all learning together.

Please fine below a partial itinerary for the trip:

  • Visit the Great Wall in Beijing
  • Attend a jingju (Beijing opera) performance in Beijing.
  • Visit the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing
  • Visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum (Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum) in Xi’an
  • Visit the night market in Xi’an
  • Visit The Bund in Shanghai
  • Attend the kunqu (Kun opera) performance in Shanghai