When they're not fighting, they're singing

It was noon last Tuesday, and six legislative secretaries were practicing Taiwanese opera with their teacher at the legislative compound. They had a lot of work to do, since their Feb. 6 performance was fast approaching.

On that day, they and 17 lawmakers will perform at a legislative event to usher in the Year of the Dog. It is the first day lawmakers return from their Lunar New Year holiday and begin registering for the spring session.

The group, which formed a month ago, has been practicing continually. Last week, the six secretaries, who will make up the chorus for the opening day performance, were recording their teacher's voice so that they can practice at home over the Lunar New Year break.

Huang Jin-yu (黃金玉) began watching Taiwanese operas when she was little. She loved the flamboyant outfits and bright make-up, but never thought of becoming a performer. She did like to sing, however, and when she was 16 she placed first in a radio singing contest. The contest organizer offered her a chance to go on a tour, but her parents forbade it. Her parents also turned down an opportunity for her to perform on TV, saying that it was not the proper thing for a respectable girl to do.

"Like most parents, they wanted me to study and go to college," Huang said.

She did as her parents wished, but her love of performing remained. So when she learned that a Taiwanese opera troupe would be formed in the legislature, she jumped at the opportunity.

Huang says she does not find it difficult to sing the lyrics, although it does require a lot of practice. What she finds most challenging is the footwork and body movements. When she started to learn the art of performance, she was surprised how difficult it was.

Because she is short-sighted and does not wear contact lenses while performing, she says she is nearly blind on stage. But this has the advantage of sparing her from stage fright, she says with a laugh.

hard work

Huang Mei-jing (黃美靜), the troupe's teacher, said it requires talent and hard work to learn the century-old art. It can take a year just to learn a two-hour program. To keep her students from getting demoralized, she says it is important to teach them the easier numbers first. That is exactly how she herself got hooked.

Huang Mei-jing started learning Taiwanese opera in 1990 and has been performing for 15 years. She is glad to see more young people becoming interested in the art form. This is due to lessons offered at school, she says, and the formation of student associations. There has also been a change in the attitude of parents who used to think Beijing opera was more refined than the local variety.

Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Tseng Tsahn-deng (曾燦燈), who grew up in a farming village in Nantou County, says that he has been fascinated by Taiwanese opera since he was a child.

"I'm totally overwhelmed by its outfits, lyrics and stories," he says. "I've always wanted to go on stage to perform."

When he was little, he learned how to sing Taiwanese opera from the radio and remembered the stories by heart. He says he feels lucky that his parents did not prevent him from taking up the hobby.

His interest in Taiwanese opera received a boost when one of his high school teachers complimented him on a cassette tape he made for her as a farewell gift. She had just married and would soon move to the US with her husband, and Tseng wanted to give her something different that he could do himself. Taiwanese opera would be perfect, he thought.