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This study argues against the common perception that the Qing court theatre was a closed cultural institution. It suggests that this theatre developed in conjunction with popular performance traditions outside the court that were stimulated by Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908). Through close readings of a set of ceremonial dramas (yidian xi) commissioned by the Empress for the birthday celebrations of imperial family members, this essay explores the aesthetic transition from ritual to entertainment in this particular genre. It shows how as Empress Dowager Cixi indulged in her personal fantasies, the court theatre altered. These new plays initiated a paradigm shift from choreographed pageantry to an actor-centered stage, and as such indicate Cixi's important role in the transformation of ceremonial court theatre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jingju (Beijing/Peking opera) is a synthesis of elements of many different regional forms and has a 'tradition' of innovation and integration of diverse influences. But it currently sits at the centre of intense conflicting pressures: the need to innovate to attract contemporary audiences and the need to preserve, engendered by its current status as endangered yet nationally representative performing art. As a result, jingju has become a difficult form within which to innovate successfully. This article analyses the interplay of traditional and innovative aural and visual elements in a 1999 award-winning jingju production, Camel Xiangzi. Jingju musical structures provided the core mode of character expression, but were interlaced with Beijing folk melodies and computer-synthesized elements in effective and innovative ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]