Anybody here knows about SiChuan Opera's Art of Bian Lian (Face Change)?
I saw on TV last week and I was totally blown away!! The guy could change his masks in a split second just with a swing of his head or a wave of his cape (over his face), and we are talking about 10 different masks!! It's just like a colour change with masks but for the life of me I just couldn't figure out how to change a mask w/o even touching it.
I did a research that day on it, and the Bian Lian was classified as a national secret, wow, think about that!!
Recently there was a news report about how the Bian Lian art, though traditionally only taught to males and kept a strict secrect, is now being taught everywhere by money-grubbing people just out to capitalise on the reputation of the art. Real practitioners do not just teach the art to just anyone. A famous story was that Andy Lau wanted to learn this art but he was turned down by all those he approached, presumedly because they didn't want the art to just become another mainstream entertainment item.
So what is happening now is that Taiwanese and Hong Kong yuppies can just knock off work and proceed to a class that offers the Bian Lian art and learn it with 30 other people like it's a body combat class or something.
The problem with this is of course most are there to find out the secret, and they treat it as a novelty, which ultimately cheapens the art. I personally think this is just down-right sad and unscrupulous but oh well...
Kinda similar to some of the arguments you hear against the proliferation of magic isn't it? :P
I had the good fortune to witness this artform live a couple of years back in KL. It was performed by this Chinese (from China) guy. He was billed as "the King of Masks", although I don't know if he is the real deal.
His mask changes were fast, and there were so so many masks it was amazing.
The downsides, even I had no idea how it was done, it gave a mechanical sort of feeling.