Errenzhuan

Errenzhuan (simplified Chinese: 二人转; traditional Chinese: 二人轉; pinyin: Èrrénzhuàn, lit. "two-people rotation") is a genre of musical theater and folk dance from Northeast China, usually involving two performers (one male and one female). The dance uses folding fans or square-shaped red handkerchiefs, which are twirled as the songs are performed. It is popular due to its comedic dialogue and sketches, which have obfuscated the old dances and songs.

Errenzhuan was previously called a "double play". It may consist of half-class opera, small yangko, fengliu, Spring Song, double side songs, bouncing, or Northeastern local opera written by the people of Northeast China. This form of performance emerged at the beginning of the 21st century as a folk art of Northeast China. Errenzhuan means ‘two people’ (erren) ‘telling stories through performing different roles’ (zhuan).^[1]

Errenzhuan is one of the particular forms of Chinese walking-singing, which was famous in many northern Chinese provinces, such as Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, and northeast Hebei. It is also referred to by the locals as the "Northeast-featured Errenzhuan", and has more than 300 years of history since its creation. Years of development have cultivated a variety of performances, divided into four factions: Eastern School, Western School, Southern School, and Northern School. Each faction has its own unique characteristics. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the four major factions emerged separately from the countryside and spread to the rest of China.

Popular routines include "Fowling", "Selling Thread", "Reward for Detective Dee's Deeds", "Ancient City", "Blue Bridge Tryst", "Romance of the West Chamber", "At Ba Bridge", "Shuangsuo Mountain", "Huarong Pass", "Palace", "Baohao", "Panda", "Chanyu Temple", and "Spring Trip of Miss Yang the Eighth."

The performance of the duo is different from most Chinese dramas (such as those done by the Peking Opera). Errenzhuan is closely related to the common people (a "grassroots" style), and the content of the performance is closely related to the lives of the people in the northeastern region of the country. Errenzhuan started as a performance used by farmers during the off-season. As it became gradually accepted by the public, it developed into a professional form of entertainment.^{[citation needed]}