Legendary storyteller Hans Christian Andersen said children
deserved to be treated as full human beings, and that's what the
Danish National Children's Theater does in presenting Andersen's
tales and other intriguing works.
Children's stories need not be silly and childish, said the
great Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. Children need and
deserve to be taken seriously and treated as full human beings, so
stories and plays for them should be entertaining, artistic and
meaningful - as well as easy to understand.
Danish children's theater ensembles agree and take his advice to
heart in their presentations of his stories and their own works
Monday through Wednesday in the city. Shanghai is the second stop
in their two-week China tour.
The program will include not only plays but also seminars,
workshops and lectures on meaningful children's theater and how to
fund it.
One of the programs is a dance-theater piece Tolo on His
Way presented by the Danish National Ensemble for Children's
Theater.
It is about Tolo's conflict between his pedestrian but secure
everyday life and his dream about experiencing something new. A
dancer, two musicians and a teddy bear are part of this drama that
stresses the universality of freedom and security.
Another play, The Fly, features two mimes in a poetic,
comic performance to classical music. They are two lonely people
searching for happiness - they finally find each other.
In Theater Batida's black-humored show Grande Finale,
nine very musical actors invite people to a wedding. It should have
been a wonderful beginning of a new life together but turns into a
sometimes heart-rending farce.
Organizers will host workshops for an artistic dialogue between
Chinese and Danish practitioners in childrens' theater. Chinese
student actors, dancers, musicians and stage directors will have
improvised exercises with three Danish professionals in children's
theater.
"Danish performing arts, particular children theater, have a
world reputation for high artistry," says Marina Guo, general
manager of Shanghai Sunspirit Development Co Ltd, an organizer of
the festival.
"This festival will plant artistic seeds between China and
Denmark for better understanding and further collaboration. Danish
artists can also be inspired by their cultural experiences in China
to develop new artworks."
As Andersen did in his day, these modern children's theater
ensembles consider children as human beings - beings that need and
deserve to be taken seriously. Performances are intended to be fun,
entertaining and artistic.
In China, however, many children's theater productions lack
diversity in their repertoire and presentation. They often use the
traditional "storyteller" technique, which provides limited room
for children to use their imagination. Many also are short of funds
and fresh talents.
To help ease these problems and share experience with local
artists and producers, artistic directors from ASSITEJ Denmark (the
Danish center of the international organization of theater for
children and young people) and the Danish Arts Agency will give a
seminar on Danish Children's Theater.
It will look at the choices of formats and artistic expressions
in relation to age groups and situations. It will discuss the
funding system in which models of co-funding on national and local
level have been developed to encourage a sustainable and healthy
market for children's theater.
After Shanghai, the theater festival will travel to Hefei in
Anhui Province and Xi'an in Shaanxi Province.
According to Danish performing artists, today more than 100
professional children's theater companies are constantly touring
and performing in Denmark, a small country of only 5.5 million
people. Around 2,000 performances are staged annually.
"During the last five years, more than 1,300 Danish shows have
been presented in more than 40 countries and regions," says Peter
Manscher, an official with ASSITEJ Denmark. "We hope we can
exchange ideas and experiences in acting methods and share views
and conditions for financial support of culture for
children."
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(Shanghai Daily May 24, 2007)
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