CAEG’s ‘Princess Zhaojun’s’ Yang Donglin envisions how one woman united a nation
Continuing with the theme of International Women’s Day is a show about real life heroine. During the Han Dynasty, an amazing, intelligent woman considered one of the four beauties of Ancient China left the world she knew to marry Huhanye in order to achieve peace on the Northern Border of China.
Princess Zhaojun, presented by China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG), is a compelling dance drama and features detailed, beautiful sets and costumes. The Sleepless Critic interviewed accomplished costume designer Yang Donglin about his work and what is was like to visually bring the Han Dynasty and this story to life.
China National Opera and Dance Drama Theatre present Princess Zhaojun for one weekend only at the Boch Shubert Theatre in Boston, MA March 16-17. Its mission is to share traditional and contemporary Chinese performing arts around the world. Click here for more information and tickets.
Accomplished costume designer Yang Donglin Photo courtesy of China Performing Arts Agency
Sleepless Critic: Is this your first time working with the China Performing Arts Agency and what other shows have you worked on?
Yang Donglin: For China Performing Arts Agency I was costume designer for the dance drama Confucius when it toured the US in 2017 and Dragon Boat Racing in 2016 and 2018. I have also worked in dance drama for Du Fu, Chinese Orphan, Lotus and Li Bai and Opera for Jianzhen Crosses the Ocean to Japan, Turandot, The White-Haired Girl and Peasant Takes a Wife.
Princess Zhaojun. Photo courtesy of China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater
SC: The China Performing Arts Agency has a reputation for featuring the most beautiful costumes and scenery I have ever seen and Princess Zhaojun is no different. I saw the Soaring Wings production last January and it was stunning. This show serves as a piece of Chinese history and Princess Zhaojun is a real person who lived during the Han Dynasty. Please tell me about how you selected and put together the costumes for this show.
YD: I added proper contemporary interpretation of the piece instead of simply copying and restoring what it looked like in history. We need to constantly deny ourselves and make textured clothing that can keep abreast of the body language expression of our actors. Taking Zhaojun for example, we have tried to change at least 5-6 kinds of fabrics to make a sample, and the director has even personally tried it on for rehearsal action until the most satisfactory texture and effect comes out.
Artistic creation is neither restoring history nor making things up. We have incorporated more dramatic elements into the traditional Han dynasty clothing, and many of the costumes are inspired by the wooden terracotta figures, Han portrait stones, and bricks portraits in the ancient Han dynasty tombs. At the same time, costumes are endowed with different souls according to the personalities and fates of the characters. For example, the overall cool color of the Han dynasty palace and the warm orange color on the grassland have all indicated the change in the character of the protagonist.
Princess Zhaojun. Photo courtesy of China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater
SC: What has been the most difficult part of putting this show together and what has been the best part?
The most difficult part is finding the balance between the communication of the main actors’ images and the restriction of their dance movements in single, double, or triple dance. The most satisfying is the characteristics of each costume are exactly the same as the director’s ideas such as the leashed called dance, free Zigui dance, and bold pouring wax dance full of exotic flavors. Each has its own traits, but together they have a unified style to construct distinctive aesthetic style on the stage.
SC: What do you like best about being a costume designer?
YD: I like the creativity. I like the feeling of swimming freely in the ocean of creation.
Witness Yang Donglin’s exceptional costume design and experience China National Opera and Dance Drama Theatre’s Princess Zhaojun for one weekend only at the Boch Shubert Theatre at 265 Tremont Street in Boston, MA March 16-17. Click here for more information and tickets. Click here for more about China Arts and Entertainment Group and their future productions.