HEFEI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Yuan Yuan, a performer of China's traditional Huangmei Opera, reached a new peak in her career this year. In May, she was presented with the Plum Performance Award, the highest award for traditional Chinese theatrical art.

The piece she performed in the final round of the competition was the fictional story of Lin Yufei, a young communist who sacrificed her life in the 1920s in order to realize her communist ideals.

The opera titled "The Communist Manifesto" was created by the Anhui Huangmei Opera Theatre in east China's Anhui Province to commemorate the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2021. A leading performance artist at the theatre and a member of the CPC at the same time, Yuan has been exploring the creation of modern-themed Huangmei Operas since 2011.

That year, she participated in the performance of another opera inspired by the heroic deeds of Chinese communist pioneers titled "Hong Mei Zan" or "Ode to the Red Plum Flower." It was the first time she had played a lead character in an opera.

Yuan recalled that, when preparing for that role, she found herself facing a number of challenges. From the costume she wore to the arrangement of her singing, everything was different from performing traditional operas.

"The spirit of revolutionary pioneers is conveyed using the soft, gentle tune of Huangmei Opera, integrating contemporary aesthetics and traditional opera performance. Every performance can be both a challenge and a breakthrough for us," said Yuan.

To overcome the difficulties and enhance the opera's presentation, Yuan visited Huangmei Opera composer Shi Bailin for inspiration, so as to better determine how the characters should sing and move. In addition, she also incorporated a western orchestra and digital screen into the opera, adding further modern innovations to the stage presentation.

A decade later, when creating "The Communist Manifesto," she and her colleagues took a further step forward by combining classic revolutionary-themed music with traditional dancing. Over a period of more than two years, the opera has garnered immense popularity among theatergoers.

Huangmei Opera is a national-level form of intangible cultural heritage in China. From Yuan's perspective, the secret of its development in the new era lies in the combination of tradition and innovative ideas.

In recent years, Anhui Huangmei Opera Theatre has produced a number of modern-themed Huangmei Operas inspired by contemporary events, such as the fight against corruption and rural revitalization. Yuan was a delegate to the 20th CPC National Congress in 2022, and subsequently brought the congress' guiding principles onto the stage.

"Only when we performers have strong faith can we create profound works," said Yuan, adding that she wishes to continue promoting and publicizing the fine traditional Chinese culture by portraying more characters who are resilient, amiable and of high moral character. Enditem

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