A 70-year-old Chinese artist has devoted himself to passing on the centuries-old fold dance in south China's Guangdong Province to the younger generation.
The Yingge dance, or "dance to the hero's song", is a form of folk dance popular in Chaozhou and Shantou of Guangdong. Combining opera, dance, and martial arts, it originates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and is often performed during traditional Chinese festivals.
The dance was listed as the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
He Murong, who began practicing Yingge dance as a child, has emerged as an inheritor of the dance and a troupe leader. He and his fellows have incorporated the Southern Fist style of kung fu into their work to create innovative performance to captivate audience.
According to He, training a Yingge dance performer from scratch takes at least a year, and continuous practice is needed to achieve coordination with other troupe members.
"Since I started forming the troupe in 2021, several batches of members have come and gone. Male performers usually join the troupe when they are between 15 and 17. But by the time they turn 21 or 22, they need to find jobs or go to university," said He.
The veteran artist said he would like to see more people to start learning the Yingge dance at a younger age. So that when they turn 18, they can join the troupes straight away.
Veteran Chinese artist devoted himself to passing on folk dance to younger generation
