School of Dramatic Arts

I. History and Development

Founded in 2002, the School of Dramatic Arts was formerly known as Liaoning Provincial Art School (founded in 1959), which was merged into Shenyang Normal University, to form the School of Dramatic Arts. Currently, the school has 3 departments: The Departments of Acting, Music Performance, Dance and Stage Art, and five undergraduate programs, which are the programs of Performance (including Beijing Opera performance, drama and film performance, costume performance and design), music performance (Chinese instrumental music performance), dance performance, drama, film and TV art design, and broadcasting and hosting arts. The school has two first-level discipline academic master’s programs in Drama and Film and Television Studies, Music and Dance Studies, and one professional master’s program (in opera, drama, music, dance).

In 2022 the Liaoning Provincial undergraduate program of evaluation, awarded the speciality of performance won five stars, and the speciality of music performance won four stars, both ranked first in the province.

II. Faculty and Students

As of December 2022, the school has had 4,237 undergraduates and junior college graduates, and 123 graduate students. At present, there are 727 undergraduate students in the bachelors’ program, and 56 masters’ students. The students are from Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Shandong, Hunan, Beijing and other provinces and municipalities across the country.

The school currently has 95 faculty members. Among them, 3 have a doctoratesdoctorate, 34 with senior professional titles,There is 1 leader of “Xingliao Talents” Program in Liaoning Province, 1 youth top-ranking talent, 2 members of the National Teaching Committee and 3 vice presidents of Liaoning Provincial Professional Association.

III. Degree Programs

The undergraduate programs last for 4 years, and the minimum total credits of Performanceof Performance speciality are 150 credits. The core modules of different programs are as follows:

Peking Opera Performance: Repertory, Fundamental Skills of Chinese Opera, Fundamental Skills of Chinese Opera-Postures, Project of Opera Roles, and History of Chinese Opera;
Drama and Film Performance: Basic Performance Training, Line Skills, Introduction to Performance, Analysis of Performance Masters’ Works, and Performance Creation Practice;
Fashion Performance: Fashion Performance, Basic Performance Training, Body Shaping, Fashion Brand Promotion and Planning, and Comprehensive Clothing Design.

The minimum total credits for undergraduates who major in Music Performance are 140 credits, and the main modules include: Chinese Musical Instruments Performance, Music Theory, Solfeggio and Ear Training, Introduction to Chinese Traditional Music, and History of Chinese Music.

The minimum total credits for undergraduates who major in Drama, Film and Television Art Design are 150 credits, and the main modules include: Stage Design, Lighting Design, Character Modelling, Stage Image Design, and Computer Aided Design.

The minimum total credits for undergraduates who major in Broadcasting and Hosting Art are 150 credits, and the main modules include: Broadcasting and Hosting Phonetics and Vocalization, Broadcasting and Hosting Authoring Foundation, News Broadcasting and Hosting, Variety Show Hosting, Introduction to Broadcasting and Hosting Art.

The minimum total credits for undergraduates who major in Dance Performance are 180 credits, and the main modules include: Fundamental Training of Ballet, Fundamental Training of Chinese Classical Dance, Teaching Repertoire, Chinese Folk Dance, and Basic Training of Modern Dance.

The postgraduate programs last for 3 years, with a total of 42 credits foracademic master’s and 55 credits for professionalmaster’s. The academic degree programs consist of two specialities, among which the main modules of the speciality of Drama and Film Science in different directions are as follows.

Drama performance teaching: research, History of Chinese Drama, drama theory, basic theory of curriculum and teaching, research on teaching method for drama performance;
Research on performance and teaching of drama instrument: History of Chinese Opera music, opera music and singing practice research, opera instrumental music performance and teaching research;
Oral communication education: Educational knowledge and ability, oral education and communication research, basic theory of curriculum and teaching, comprehensive quality of education, stage text structure and planning.

The main modules of the speciality of Music and Dance in different directions are as follows.

Dance education research: History of Chinese and foreign dances, dance aesthetics and criticism, basic theory of curriculum and teaching, dance pedagogy, and special topics of dance education;
National instrumental music performance and teaching: Performance method of national instrumental music, teaching method of national instrumental music, thematic research on Chinese and Western music culture, introduction to musicology, basic theory of curriculum and teaching.

Professional degree programs are offered in 4 areas of specialization, and the main modules of different directions are included as follows.

Chinese Opera Program, Opera performance: Opera repertoire study, Research on creation practice of opera performance, Method and practice of opera performance, Method and practice of opera communication;
Opera instrumental music performance: Study of opera repertoire music, Research on opera music creation and arrangement, Practice of opera music art, and Practice of opera music creation.
Music Program: music performance course, music aesthetics, music research methods, creation of and research on national chamber music, Chinese and foreign music history and classics evaluation.
Drama Program, Drama performance: training of drama performance creation, research on method of character language creation, research on expression means of character body, and principles of art;
Dramatic stage art design: basic research on stage art design, material research and creation, study of effect drawing techniques, stage digital image research, and research on stage art repertoire creation.
Dance Program: introduction to dance, dance aesthetics and criticism, dance professional course, stage characterization, and principles of art.

IV. Academic Research

The school has been approved for more than 50 national and provincial level projects. It has one of the first batch of Chinese excellence in traditional culture (Peking Opera) inheritance bases of the Ministry of Education, two demonstration bases for graduate joint training in Liaoning Province, one demonstration centre for comprehensive art experimental teaching in Liaoning Province, and one off-campus practice education base for college students in Liaoning Province. One graduate Teaching Achievement Award of Liaoning Province, one graduate education teaching reform project of Liaoning Province. The school has published more than 100 papers in Social Science Citation Index(SSCI)SSCI, Science Citation Index(SCI)SCI, Chinese Social Science Citation Index(CSSCI)CSSCI, Peking University Chinese core journals and other high-level academic journals. In addition, more than 20 academic works and textbooks have been published by national first-level publishing houses.

V. International Exchange and Cooperation

The school has conducted more than 30 cultural exchange and cooperation performances, academic exchange activities and online training for more than 400 people, involving more than 20 countries such as the United States, Russia, the UK, South Korea and Japan. In particular, the “Integration, Innovation and Development - the 2017 International Academic Conference of Applied Drama Education Master Workshop” was successfully held in 2017. AdditionallyAddionally, the school successfully conducted the performance of Kunqu classic The Peony Pavilion during 2016 at the International Drama Festival in Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre (restored by Sam Wanamaker) in the UK, and the 2019 “Oriental Charm. Chicness Dramatic Make-up, International Touring Exhibition on Chinese Opera Facial Painting Art” in threeuniversities and one primary school in the United States. Since 2020, it has successfully conducted the Chinese Bridge Online Youth Group exchange training program (Peking Opera performance, Chinese musical instrument performance and Chinese dance performance) of the Chinese-Foreign Language Exchange and Cooperation Centre of the Ministry of Education for three consecutive years.

In 2022, it has successfully completed the foreign aid project of the Ministry of Commerce, “Art Education Training Program for Primary School Teachers in Developing Countries”, as well as a series of foreign exchange activities such as performances by Confucius Institutes and China Grand Paradise.

The school has 4 programs: Performance, Music Performance, Chinese Dance Performance, and Drama, Film and Television Art Design for international students.

VI. Distinguished Alumni

Sun Shangqi, a 2010 graduate majored in Peking Opera Performance, is now a teacher, associate professor, master tutor, Party branch secretary of the Peking Opera Department and director of Teaching and Research Office of the Central Academy of Drama. Sun has won international gold medals several times. Sun has also presided over national projects of the China Peking Opera Art Foundation, National Art Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and published several academic papers in Chinese core journals.
Wang Hanyu, a 2012 graduate majored in Drama, Film and Television Art Design, now works in China Media Group. Wang has participated in the stage design of more than 20 major live TV programs, such as the gala for the 70th anniversary of the National Day, the live broadcast of the National Two Sessions and the launch of the Long March 5 Rocket, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and the 20th Anniversary of the Return of Hong Kong etc.
He Xuan, a 2012 graduate majored in Chinese Musical Instrument Performance, is now the chief Erhu player of Liaoning Ethnic Orchestra, the Jinghu soloist, the national third-level performer, and the member of Liaoning Ethnic Orchestral Society. He was awarded the title of “Outstanding Cultural Volunteer” by Liaoning Provincial Department of Culture. He has been to New Zealand, Mauritius, South Korea, Pakistan and other countries for cultural exchange performances.
Niu Weiwei, a 2015 graduate majored in Fashion Performance, was the only Chinese model and Asian face appearing at the Copenhagen International Fashion Week in Denmark in 2012. She won the third prize in the North-east Division of the Shanghai International Model Contest in 2012. After graduation, she became a professional model and participated in four major international fashion weeks in Milan, Paris, London and New York successively. She appeared in ELLE, Marie Claire and other magazines, and became the official model of CHANEL and other luxury brands.
Wang Jianing, a 2016 graduate majored in Broadcasting and Hosting Art, is now the host of the Rule of Law special report program “Today’s Statement” of CCTV Comprehensive Channel. In 2022, she was selected into the host team of the 2022 National Day gala “Ode to the Chinese Dream -2022 National Day Special Program” of CCTV Comprehensive Channel and the “2023 Spring Festival Gala” of China Media Group.
Wang Yanzhao, a 2016 graduate majored in Performance (Drama and Film Performance), founded the first school and club of Tongue Tip Language Performing Arts in Jinan, and won the outstanding organization unit of the National Youth and Children’s Competition. Wang is enthusiastic in public welfare undertakings, students from poor and singleparent families tuition.
Shi Yan, a 2017 graduate majored in Opera Music, is now working in Nanjing Peking Opera Theater, Jinghu performer. Shi won the gold medal for playing “Qin Yuan” in the National Qilu Instrument Competition, and Jiangsu Literary and Art Awards, i.e. the Gold Medal of The 10th Drama Award Competition (Instrumental Group).
Chen Shifei, a 2020 graduate majored in Chinese Dance Performance, an independent dancer and choreographer, once worked in Beijing Contemporary Ballet Company and Wanma Dance Theatre. She starred in and created works that had been invited to participate in international art festivals and competitions in France, Germany, the United States, Japan, Denmark and other countries. She is known to the public as a top ten dancer from the “Good Dance of China”. Her representative works include the award-winning short film Ode at the San Francisco International Dance Film Festival, the award-winning duet 00:01 at the Hanover International Choreography Competition in Germany, Shambala directed by Wanma Jianchuo, and The Rite of Spring directed by Yang Liping.

VII. School of Dramatic Arts at a Glance

1959 The school’s predecessor, Liaoning Provincial Art School, was founded
2002 Liaoning Provincial Art School was merged into Shenyang NormalUniversity to establish the School of Dramatic Arts
2004 The School building was completed and put into use
4764 students since its founding
1 expert receiving special government allowance of the State Council
1 national first-class speciality

Contact

Website: https://xjysxy.synu.edu.cn/

WeChat: SYNU_ZJC

Telephone: 0086-24-86578882