Note: This event is free and open to the UCLA community and members of the public.
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Join us for a celebration of Cantonese language and culture! Dr. Esther Tang (San Francisco Environment Department) will discuss the dissemination and celebration of Cantonese Opera in the San Francisco Bay Area. This event will also feature vibrant performances from the UCLA "Learn Through Play" Fiat Lux Seminars taught by Dr. King-Kok Cheung, Perfect Harmony Cultural Exchange Association, Yeung Ming Cantonese Opera Troupe, and Jing Ying Cantonese Opera Institute.
Recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Cantonese opera is a major form of Chinese opera, an art form that tells classic tales of heroism, morality, and romance that have lived on through the centuries. These elaborate performances incorporate unique costumes, singing, acrobatics, music, martial arts, and acting. It originated in the Guangdong province of Southern China and is popular in many Cantonese-speaking countries.
Dr. Esther Tang currently works as a Senior Environmental Education Strategist with the San Francisco Environment Department, with previous experience serving as a bilingual educator designing and delivering multilingual experiences for onsite and virtual platforms in an informal science education setting at the California Academy of Sciences. She holds a PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology from the University of California, San Francisco.
This event is organized by Professor King-Kok Cheung (UCLA Department of English and Asian American Studies) and made possible through the support of the Cantonese Arts and Culture Fund established by May Chong at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. Co-sponsorship is provided by the UCLA English Department and UCLA Asia Pacific Center.