Master artists enhance students' aesthetics as part of education reform
Shanghai's master artists have been invited to give lessons to students in downtown schools to enhance their aesthetics amid the nation's education reform.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education issued a series of "double reduction" policies in order to ease excessive homework and off-campus tutoring on primary and middle school students, who are encouraged to involve more in sports and extracurricular activities.
Di Feifei, renowned for movie dubbing, shared the art of language with more than 100 students at the Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School over the weekend. It was one of the "Masters' Lessons" initiated by the publicity department of the Xuhui District government.
An excellent dubbing can not only make a movie character come to life, but also help audiences better understand the film, said Di.
She is from the Shanghai Film Art Center, a hub for voice artists and amateurs.
"A qualified dubber must fully understand each character, match up with the context and adjust their voices," said Di. "Every breath requires deep thinking."
She has been the voice for numerous characters in foreign productions, including 10-year-old Elliott in "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," police cryptographer Sophie Neveu in the "The Da Vinci Code," Master Tigress in "Kung Fu Panda," and Mary Watson in "Sherlock Holmes."
Di encouraged the students to showcase their talent with self-confidence, and spare some leisure time to practice reciting and dubbing. She shared her experience in dubbing and methods in training the voice, and dubbed an animation film with some of the students.
She said the language art can further help the all-round development of juveniles.
The special lesson will be aired to more than 80,000 downtown students.
The series of lessons aims to enhance the aesthetic and humanistic quality of local youngsters, especially amid the nation's "double reduction" policy, according to the district.
The first batch of eight such lessons will be given at downtown elementary and middle schools through the end of the year.
Other renowned artists will include pipa (Chinese lute) master Tang Liangxing, Wang Jiajun, Shanghai Dance Theater's principle dancer, and celebrated dancing artist Huang Doudou.