How technology can help Cantonese opera

In the city of Hong Kong the centuries-old art of Cantonese opera is making use of technology to help students to learn the artform and sustain it.

Professor Leung Bo Wah, Head of Cultural and Creative Art at the Education University of Hong Kong, has created a virtual reality programme, using the same 3D imaging sensors and software used in Microsoft’s Xbox gaming systems. The sensors record the position of 19 joints in an actor’s body and compares them to the correct position of those points. By notifying students immediately of any mistakes, they can be corrected swiftly.

The use of this technology allows students to become part of a virtual performance, placing them at the centre of the action on stage through a wearable viewer. This allows a student to understand where they are and how their actions are an integral part of a performance.

Also known as Yueju (粵劇), Cantonese opera, as with Western opera, is a complex art form that brings together stories, music, and literature with dance, martial arts and acting. Having already collaborated on a book that chronicles 200 movements from the opera, Professor Leung realised that more could be done with technology to address the way in which students learn today. In the past, Cantonese opera was taught by masters, who worked with students for months or years to perfect the craft and art. Today, students meet a mentor once a week and then practice at home. The technology allows for a much richer understanding of the artform.

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