"Elite Picks from the Art Garden – 2026 National Outstanding Young Quyi Talent Showcase" Kicks Off
According to China News Service: On the evening of October 15, the 'Arts Garden Elite - 2026 National Outstanding Young Quyi Talent Showcase' and the 'Quyi is Youthful' performance kicked off at the National Theatre of the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Ensemble in Beijing. The showcase continued with exciting performances on the evenings of the 16th and 17th.
As the annual performance report of the 'New Era Youth Art Backbone Training Program,' the showcase follows the principle of 'virtue and talent combined, selecting the best of the best.' After rounds of selection, including expert reviews and on-site re-selection in Taizhou, Zhejiang, 23 young performers were finally chosen. They include Lu'an drum performer Huo Yajie, fast-talking storyteller Li Guojing and Li Lei, Yongzhou horizontal drum performer Wu Dongmeng, comedy performer Wu Dan, single-string performer Yang Ting, crosstalk performers Tao Siyou, Wang Wei, and Dou Chenguang, Suzhou storytelling performer Xu Weidong, Nanyin performer Cai Kailin, Shandong kuaishu performers Hu Zhaobin and Cheng Hongzheng, Changde silk-string performer Li Tingting, storyteller Pei Guanhong, Sichuan Qingyin performer Chen Xinyi, one-leg play performer Hou Shenglin, Suzhou Pingtan performer Xie Lan, Laoting drum performer Cao Meihui, Errenzhuan performer Bao Yonghang, Changzi drum storyteller Wang Chenxi, Penkong performer Li Xiaoyu, and Jiangxi Lianhualuo performer Jia Yongjun.
This performance report uses an innovative format combining various traditional art pieces, featuring Wu Bin, Xu Ning, Sun Mingze, Xu Tao, Yuan Guohu, Wu Dan, Lu Yao, and Zhao Bin. It follows heartwarming stories about the passing down of traditions in old art troupes as the main narrative, creatively weaving the programs into the stage storyline.
In the first performance, a variety of musical styles took to the stage one after another, blending traditional flavors with modern expression. Huo Yajie presented the Lu’an drum piece 'The 24 Solar Terms of China,' using a graceful singing style to vividly convey the characteristics of each solar term, fully showcasing the simple and profound local charm of Northern drum music. Li Guojing performed the bamboo clapper storytelling piece 'Sun Wukong Defeats the Golden Blade Array,' with the bamboo clappers striking crisp and lively rhythms, sharp diction, and dynamic tempo, bringing the classic Journey to the West story to life with vivid and expressive performance. Wu Dongmeng performed the Yongzhou horizontal drum piece 'Where to Go?' set against the backdrop of the 1938 Japanese invasion of South China. The melody is full of twists and turns, telling the story of young Nanning patriots who, even on their wedding day, resolutely went to the front lines of the resistance, highlighting the sincere patriotic spirit of the people of Guangxi in times of national crisis.
Yongzhou Henggu 'Where to Go'. Source: China Quyi Artists Association
In addition, Wu Dan's performance of 'The Death of Yu Ji' uses the comic style of 'one person performing alone, performing for one person' to convey the performers' love and dedication to traditional arts; Yang Ting and Yang Qian's duets in the single-string performance 'Ode to the Festival Horse' show seamless cooperation as they sing back and forth, praising the unyielding national spirit; the cross-talk 'Vocabulary Expert' by Tao Siyou and Shang Xingcheng turns a laugh-out-loud 'fake expert' farce into an entertaining lesson, making the audience think amid laughter; Xu Weidong and Lu Jinhua's Suzhou storytelling 'Searching' tells a touching story about pursuit and perseverance, using the delicate narrative style unique to Jiangnan storytelling.
According to reports, this year's 'Art Garden Talent Showcase' combines with the 'Quyi in Its Prime' New Era Young Talents Creation Camp Plan, using a model of training and live competitions to provide young quyi artists with a high-level platform to take the lead and play a starring role.
Crosstalk 'Expert in Lexicology'. Source: China Quyi Artists Association