Large
SmallNinghai Flat Tune
Year: 2006
Sort: Traditional Operas
Area:Zhejiang Province
Serial No.: Ⅳ-9
Declarer: Ninghai County, Zhejiang Province
The Ninghai Flat Tune, which originated in the lateMing Dynasty(1368-1644) and earlyQing Dynasty(1644-1911), is a kind of age-old local opera in Zhejiang Province in southeastern China. It is a branch of the Xinchang Tune Opera. The Ninghai Flat Tune has more than 100 traditional repertoires, such as Small Money, White Gate Tower and Chenlin Saves his Master.
The aria is very loud and graceful, and always set to vocal accompaniment and percussive instruments.
The Ninghai Flat Tune requires unique performance skills and has a history of over 100 years. The skill is shuaya, or literally 'playing with teeth'. Performers hold boar jawbones and upper tusks in their mouths,. The actors control the eight tusks in their mouths and one in each nostril with their tongues, teeth, lips and breathing. The teeth can pop out of the mouth, move to all sides, and withdraw into the nostrils. Two tusks are always kept inside the mouth, and the players can still sing, talk, walk, and fight. The trick includes four steps，"bite", "lap", "swallow", and "spit". Every performer has to practice painfully hard to master the stunt. After the founding of thePeople's Republic of Chinain 1949, there were improvements made to the skill and it won unanimous praise from audiences.
Shuaya has enriched the facial performance of traditional Chinese opera. But the popularity of the Ninghai Flat Tune is in decline, along with other operas. The number of performers who can perform shuaya is decreasing. Protective measures shall be taken as soon as possible to keep this piece of cultural heritage alive.
