Wudan
The wudan (
The hair and makeup is similar to that of other young dan roles.[1]
Subtypes
The wudan can be further divided into two subtypes, the duanda wudan and the daomadan; the latter wears an "armor" on-stage.
Duanda wudan
The duanda wudan (
Daomadan
The changkao wudan (
Skills
In addition to singing, wudan actresses must also be trained in martial arts, gymnastics, and acrobatics, just like their male counterparts (wusheng). A unique skill for the wudan actress is "kicking the spears" (Chinese: 打出手; pinyin: dǎchūshǒu; lit. 'beat out-of hand') which is unused in wusheng roles. In such a combat scene the wudan is in the middle of the stage surrounded by her enemies, each holding a couple of light double-headed spears with tassels at each ends. The enemies toss their spears for the heroine to kick back in various ways, which is meant to mimic deflections in battles. The result is fast-paced action (if the actress is good) with many spears flying through air simultaneously.[6]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/%E4%BA%8E%E8%B0%A6214423.jpg/300px-%E4%BA%8E%E8%B0%A6214423.jpg)
Cross-gender acting
Male wudan actors are extremely rare. Yang Rui-Yu (楊瑞宇), a Taiwanese Peking opera performer who graduated from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, has been called the only active male wudan actor. He is with Wu Hsing-kuo's Contemporary Legend Theatre (當代傳奇劇場).[7]
On the other hand, it's common for (shorter) wudan actresses to play males, i.e. wawasheng (Chinese: 娃娃生; pinyin: wáwáshēng; lit. 'child male') or boy characters who can fight with weapons. These include Liu Chenxiang from The Magic Lotus Lantern, Zhao Wu from The Orphan of Zhao, and Yang Wenguang from Women Generals of the Yang Family.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Beijing_Opera_%28%E4%BA%AC%E5%89%A7%29_%283590073500%29.jpg/300px-Beijing_Opera_%28%E4%BA%AC%E5%89%A7%29_%283590073500%29.jpg)
References
- ^ Bonds, p. 10.
- ^ Bonds, pp. 10–11.
- ^ Bonds, pp. 11, 13–14.
- ^ Bonds, p. 248.
- ^ Bonds, pp. 11, 13.
- ^ Siu & Lovrick, pp. 94–99.
- ^ "我不是台灣唯一男武旦?/楊瑞宇". Radio Taiwan International (in Chinese). 17 April 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- Bonds, Alexandra B. (2008). Beijing Opera Costumes: The Visual Communication of Character and Culture. ISBN 978-0-8248-2956-8.
- Siu Wang-Ngai; Lovrick, Peter (2014). Chinese Opera: The actress's Craft. ISBN 978-988-8208-26-5.