"Green-glazed Pottery Male Figures": Revitalizing Canjun Opera pottery figurines through dance

The “green-glazed pottery male figures” were unearthed in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, from the tomb of General Xianyu Tinghui, commander of the Right Flank Army during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty. These figurines, celebrated as masterpieces of the High Tang period, are vividly expressive and adorned with green glaze. They are widely regarded as iconic representations of Canjun Opera performers, an art form popular in the Tang Dynasty known for its witty dialogues.

In 2022, a choreographer from the China Coal Mine Art Troupe encountered these figurines at the National Museum of China, sparking the idea of “reviving” them on stage through a dance drama. The team carefully refined the choreography to authentically recreate Canjun Opera and breathe new life into this ancient theatrical tradition.