中文
HOME
HOME / LATEST NEWS / Content

Grade 3: A First Glimpse into Shadow Puppetry — the Art Between Light and Screen

May 9, 2020

As one of the earliest forms of traditional Chinese art, Chinese shadow puppetry combines different kinds of art such as painting, music, literature, and acting. A source of light, a translucent screen, several wooden rods or sticks, and some cut-out figures are used to tell stories about all walks of life. Grade 3 native Chinese students made their own puppet shadow theater and performed wonderful plays after learning the famous history storyReturn the Jade Intact to Zhao.By the 7th of May, every class has singled out the top 5 plays—let’s explore their amazing performances!

Students told us that it was a difficult task to finish their shadow play but that they learned a lot from the whole process. Some students acted in multiple roles in their own play, switching among different characters and accents; some worked together with their family members and delivered good performances; some gathered together with friends and put forth their best efforts. The intricate figures and intriguing plots were completely seen and felt between the light and screen.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to our art teacher, Ms. Chen, for the wonderful tutorials. By making the shadow play, all students not only consolidated their understanding of the story and characters, but also enjoyed the beauty of this art form with the aim to preserve and pass on this art.

(Written by Zhang Ting Pictures by Grade 3 Chinese Teachers)