Painted Faces, Flowing Sleeves
A Showcase of Chinese Opera
Presented By:
Crimson Coast Dance Society
Event Info:
- Event Length: 1.5 hours
- 20 minute intermission
Series:
InFrinGing Dance
Venue:
The Port Theatre
125 Front St.
Nanaimo, BC V9R 6Z4
Google Map
Painted Faces, Flowing Sleeves
A Showcase of Chinese Opera
Crimson Coast Dance Society presents the 28th annual InFrinGinG Dance Festival
July 8-12, 2026
INdoor and OUT – Downtown and All Around!
Stroll through a lobby wafting with Chinese culture to enjoy an elegant night at the opera.
Dress up, bring your opera spectacles – you will want to see the intricacy of the makeup – the costumes – and experience the mystique of ancient stories shared in modern times.
Crimson Coast Dance Society is proud to present a rare, immersive showcase of classical Chinese opera, featuring three distinct, acclaimed genres: Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, and Cantonese Opera.
Featuring renowned artist William Lau from Ottawa’s Autumn Melody Collective alongside four exceptional artists from Vancouver: Sheng-O, Heidi Specht, Bonnie Tam and Yu-Hua Miao. This performance brings the pinnacle of Chinese traditional theatre to Nanaimo for the first time since 1910.
The program showcases magnificent costumes, extraordinary makeups, and refined performance with powerful drama. In performance, the artist adheres to basic conventions while flexibly adapting the technique to highlight artistic talent. The unique combination of realism and abstraction creates a set of sophisticated formulae embodying rich theatrical meaning.
Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, Chinese opera is often defined as "total theatre," synthesizing singing, recitation, acting, and dancing. This curated program highlights the two major styles—civilian (wen) and military (wu) plays—showcasing magnificent costumes, intricate makeup, and powerful dramatic narratives.
A Showcase of Three Genres
* Peking Opera (Civilian/Comedy): The Jade Bracelet (a bi-lingual Canadian adaptation.)
* Kunqu Opera (Classical/Refined): The Peony Pavilion
* Cantonese Opera (Military/Action): Shuangyang Chasing Her Runaway Husband
While here, William Lau will offer three workshops:
Chinese Opera Mask Painting for Children, Chinese Opera makeup application and story (for everyone, men identifying persons are encouraged to attend, ‘How to Ride A Horse’ – a highly stylized miming technique called tangma to signify the mounting, riding
and dismounting of a horse.
Please go to CRIMSONCOASTDANCE.COM to learn about all of the festival events.
July 8-12, 2026
INdoor and OUT – Downtown and All Around!
Stroll through a lobby wafting with Chinese culture to enjoy an elegant night at the opera.
Dress up, bring your opera spectacles – you will want to see the intricacy of the makeup – the costumes – and experience the mystique of ancient stories shared in modern times.
Crimson Coast Dance Society is proud to present a rare, immersive showcase of classical Chinese opera, featuring three distinct, acclaimed genres: Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera, and Cantonese Opera.
Featuring renowned artist William Lau from Ottawa’s Autumn Melody Collective alongside four exceptional artists from Vancouver: Sheng-O, Heidi Specht, Bonnie Tam and Yu-Hua Miao. This performance brings the pinnacle of Chinese traditional theatre to Nanaimo for the first time since 1910.
The program showcases magnificent costumes, extraordinary makeups, and refined performance with powerful drama. In performance, the artist adheres to basic conventions while flexibly adapting the technique to highlight artistic talent. The unique combination of realism and abstraction creates a set of sophisticated formulae embodying rich theatrical meaning.
Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, Chinese opera is often defined as "total theatre," synthesizing singing, recitation, acting, and dancing. This curated program highlights the two major styles—civilian (wen) and military (wu) plays—showcasing magnificent costumes, intricate makeup, and powerful dramatic narratives.
A Showcase of Three Genres
* Peking Opera (Civilian/Comedy): The Jade Bracelet (a bi-lingual Canadian adaptation.)
* Kunqu Opera (Classical/Refined): The Peony Pavilion
* Cantonese Opera (Military/Action): Shuangyang Chasing Her Runaway Husband
While here, William Lau will offer three workshops:
Chinese Opera Mask Painting for Children, Chinese Opera makeup application and story (for everyone, men identifying persons are encouraged to attend, ‘How to Ride A Horse’ – a highly stylized miming technique called tangma to signify the mounting, riding
and dismounting of a horse.
Please go to CRIMSONCOASTDANCE.COM to learn about all of the festival events.
Presented By:
Crimson Coast Dance Society
Event Info:
- Event Length: 1.5 hours
- 20 minute intermission
Series:
InFrinGing Dance
Venue:
The Port Theatre
125 Front St.
Nanaimo, BC V9R 6Z4
Google Map