Brick bakers bring song, dance to stage

Thirteen years ago, Penpa Drolkar was too busy baking bricks to harbor dreams of being lead dancer in a Tibetan opera troupe.

Today, she is among a group of performers that stage a spectacular show featuring ethnic singing and dancing at the renowned Tibetan Opera Art Center in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region.

Penpa Drolkar is with the Yuanda Migrant Workers' Troupe, which consists of 49 farmers and herdsmen from around Lhasa. None of them has ever received professional training, and many of Penpa Drolkar's peers used to bake bricks in factories.

"Many people can't remember our troupe's name, Yuanda, so they simply call us the brick bakers troupe because we used to fire bricks," she said, adding that Yuanda means "ambitious" in Chinese.

The troupe was formed in 2005. At first, it was a loose collection of a few migrant workers who were passionate about performing in their spare time. Performing helped them relax and brought joy and laughter to their factory co-workers.

"The troupe staged a few shows for the military and performed for free at construction sites for the crews on the Lhasa-Xigaze and Nyingchi-Lhasa railways. They were quite popular," said troupe leader Losang Jinba.

Their performances typically feature singing, dancing, skits and cross-talk, a traditional Chinese comedy style. As the performers were migrant workers, the audience felt close to and connected with them. When they started to become popular, the troupe began to perform paid shows in villages surrounding Lhasa.

"In the early days, we received coins and small notes for payment," said Liu Hua, deputy head of the troupe. "We realized that the money must be from poor residents in poverty stricken villages, so we just returned it."

Tibet has about 2.3 million farmers and herdsmen, accounting for 74.4 percent of its entire population. Many of them still live in poverty.

"Many villagers were just grateful," Liu said. "Now, whenever big events like Shoton Festival come, they simply request our shows."

The troupe has attracted the attention of professionals, too. Jamyang Gyatso, a director with the regional song and dance ensemble, was deeply moved by the migrant workers' passion and simplicity.

"I was surprised at what they delivered, but I also felt bad for the workers," he said. "They can sing and dance, but they needed better material, a signature performance that was distinctively the brick bakers'."

Jamyang Gyatso created a show titled Working between Heaven and Earth for the troupe. The show debuted at the Tibetan Opera Art Center last month to immense success.

But it was not easy creating a big show for amateur performers, he said. "For professionals, I can easily explain some movements and get the idea across to the actors within a few minutes, but for migrant workers, it could take a whole day for just one movement," he said. "One should try to help them understand the stories behind each dance."

But since the show is about workers, using worker performers like Pengpa Drolkar is necessary, he said.

The show has won critical acclaim. Tenzin Tsering, former head of the region's Ethnic Art Research Institute, said the actors "delivered like pros".

"They were born workers with an understanding of working lives, so their performance was natural, which is precious," he said.

Penpa Drolkar and her peers will perform in more Chinese inland cities. Tibetan opera shows like Princess Wencheng have had great success in the market in the past, but the brick bakers will find their own way to success, said Wei Dong, deputy head of Lhasa's cultural bureau.

"Princess Wencheng was created with significant historical background, but Working Between Heaven and Earth tells the stories of ordinary people," Wei said. "We hope that the show will come to represent Tibet."

Pengpa Drolkar added: "I hope that one day, I will also become a director. I want to teach girls like me to dance, and tell stories with movement."

Xinhua