Vancouver Cantonese Opera

I couldn't finish posting about the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival without at least one shot of what is for me the highlight of the festival, the appearance of the Vancouver Cantonese Opera. Remarkable costumes, splendid performances, and an informed commentary make this a memorable event and I hope and trust they will be back annually.

An additional source of delight for me in many of the performances by other groups was the involvement of children such as these sweet young girls from the VFCA Sampaguita Filipino Dance Group.

Chinese Opera

Today I had the good luck to stumble upon a wonderful presentation that introduced me to Chinese Opera. One of the founders of the Vancouver Cantonese Opera, Rosa Cheng, brought a few members of her troupe to Victoria to participate in the Dragonboat Festival currently taking place in the Inner Harbor. Ms. Cheng gave a fascinating introduction to the art of Chinese Opera and then there was a brief performance, pictured above. In it a father and daughter are having a dispute. Afterwards the principals kindly consented to be photographed, below. From the left the performers are Vivian Ng, Rosa Ho and Lady Yang. To find out more about the Vancouver Cantonese Opera visit their website by clicking HERE.This was just one of many interesting sights today at the Dragonboat Festival. I took so many photos that I had to lie down when I got home. Even my camera had to lie down. I'll be posting more about this festival in the next few days. At this point I will say that if you are ever planning a trip to Victoria, try to time your visit for this festival. It gets my vote for the best event this year. Click HERE to find out more about it.