Edmonton Beijing Opera Association (EBOA), founded in February 2002 in Alberta, is a non-profitable artistic group whose principals and goals are to inherit and promote and expand the thaditional chinese art—Beijing Opera, to introduce and spread the knowledge of traditional operas, to promote and strengthen the cultural exchanges between China and the cities of north america, to enrich the cultural life of the local communities. Right in the first year of foundation (the year of 2002) EBOA accomplished a major event “Night of Traditional Operas” <戲曲之夜> which brought the spring of Beijing Opera to Edmonton.
In 2004 EBOA managed another major event named “ Night of Beijing Opera. In this event we invited professional performers to act with EBOA menbers to show the charms of Beijin Opera.Other than spreading the knowledge of Beijin Opera we also performed for the Edmonton senior reheblitation hospitals and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northern Alberta, and did fun raising for those activities. In 2005 and 2006, EBOA organized article and paint competitions of students to encourage students to study and understand chinese cultures.
In order to better introduce the cultural treasure , Beijin Opera, to the whole public and to promote the cultural and artistic exchanges between Canada and china EBOA grandly held a special event, “Blossoms in Snow – Night of Beijing Opera” in 2007. We successfully invited Mei Lanfang Beijing Opera Troupe from Beijing headed by the master of Beijing Opera , Mei Baojiu. Forty-five opera artists performed representative Mei’s plays such as “The Drunken Cucumber”, “Farewell Cucumber”, and other well known plays including “The Eighteen Disciples Fight The Monkey King” etc in Jubilee theatre.
All the audience, communities and media warmly admired the event and felt proud of the unique performance happening right here in Edmonton. In 2008 we invited again six national graded opera artists from Mei Lanfang Beijing Opera Troupe to visit Canada. A program named “Beijing Opera’s Spring Festival”<新春京韻> and a series of lectures and workshops were held for the public. A performance tour to Calgary and Toronto was also organized.
EBOA members often use pen names to publish articles in Chinese New’s to introduce the charms of Beijing Opera and its artistic intension.
