CRI听力: Red Women Army Still Struggles in Market

China plans to finalize the introduction of market discipline to the state-owned art troupes that are largely government-funded before June this year.

As Su Yi reports, the country's top political advisors suggest that the reforms adopt a more differentiated approach to avoid hurting the arts.



The Chinese ballet classic, "Red Women Army," tells the story of young women rising against their "evil" feudal lord during the democratic revolution.

The 50-year-old drama, which influenced a whole generation back in the 1960s, is still on stage in every performance season of the China National Ballet.

However, to former director of the ballet theater, Zhao Ruheng, who is a member of the country's top political advisory body, the move to the market system will make it more difficult to produce a classic like "Red Women Army".

China began to apply the principle of market forces to performance houses in 2003. Hundreds of opera houses have been forced to double or even triple their plays to survive after losing government funding.

Small market-share and the worry of losing welfare are proving a hindrance to the process, which is considered the most difficult part of the nine-year cultural reforms.

But for local opera actress, Han Lixia, the reform brings her higher wages and more audiences, since her opera company has a large market in Shaanxi Province in northwestern China.

China's vice cultural minister, Ouyang Jian, says more than 20 percent of state-owned art troupes have begun or already finished the market-oriented transformation.

China's Ministry of Culture has set late June the deadline to finalize the reform. Only dozens of art troupes will be left funded by the government.

However, vice cultural minister Ouyang Jian admits that when it comes to high-brow or traditional arts, this could be very difficult. He says the ministry is adopting a differentiated approach towards the 2,000-strong art troupes around the country.

Zhao Ruheng, former director of China National Ballet, says the reform program makes ballet dancers nervous about their retirement funds and future careers.

Now dancing director of the National Performances Arts Center, Zhao Ruheng, points out that maintaining high artistic standards is the eternal way to survive in the market. She says a sound backstage determines a good box office, and it does not change.

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.