Traditional Chinese Folk Performance, Storytelling, and Artistry with Henry Tang

Hello tea friends! On this very special episode of Teatime with Jesse, we have Henry Tang, a traditional Pingshu performer.  This was such a treat to watch! Watch the full episode of Teatime with Jesse, we have Henry Tang, a traditional Pingshu performer: We talk about life in Beijing, traditional storytelling, how folk performers differ from modern performers, standup comedy, and my time as an apprentice. Sip on some white tea while we go down memory lane and Henry performs a traditional romance piece! Try Three Treasures “Chen Pi” Mandarin Peel White Tea: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/three-treasures-chen-pi-mandarin-peel-white-tea Don’t miss the Taiwanese Oolong Sampler: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesse-in-taiwan-mystery-tea-drop Join Jesse’s Tea Club: https://jessesteahouse.com/products/jesses-tea-club-subscription-service?variant=43241340567777 #whitetea #chineselanguagelearning #apprenticeship #traditionalfolkart #performingarts #pingshu #pingshuperformers #foreignerinchina #foreignerinbeijing #teatimewithjesse #jessesteahouse #yourchineseteaguy #gongfucha #kungfutea  0:29 Welcome to Jesse’s Teahouse 0:38 Meet Henry Tang, traditional Pingshu performer 01:17 Meet Henry Tang (in Chinese) 01:51 Three Treasures Tea 2:50 Jesse got into tea while in Beijing 2:54 The Maliandao Tea Market is the biggest tea market in China 3:36 Did you have a special tea that you liked growing up? 4:27 Henry is going to share a Ping Xu performance 4:40 It’s hard to find a translator 5:44 Henry performs three kingdoms 8:29 What is three kingdoms 9:40 Around 2000 years ago… 10:13 Each storyteller has their own style 12:40 My original idea for Jesse’s Teahouse came from China 13:30 What does a traditional Beijing teahouse look like 20:16 If you know the technique, you can adjust style for any kind of performance 21:10 Storytelling isn’t accurate 21:28 Ping means analyze, shu is “story” 21:55 You have to add the storytelling element 22:27 A one man show is harder than a two man show 23:30 Playing different characters as a one man act 24:05 Pingshu performers should try standup 25:11 One hour each week, doing a whole story 26:30 How the Internet has affected storytelling 26:55 Why Pingshu stays alive 27:30 You can’t do Pingshu in a restaurant 28:25 The environment of the performance is very important 29:34 Pingshu is immersive 30:20 What is the thing that makes live performance special 31:02 A person who tells jokes to others is a comedian. A person who tells jokes to themselves is crazy. 32:24 Practice makes perfect 32:39 What are these robes? 33:38 Comedians wear this in China 34:00 It’s retro 37:40 Performers used to ask for payment during the show 39:04 Traditional folk artists being perceived as “beggars” from street performing 42:54 Women overcome an extra obstacle in traditional storytelling 44:09 Teaching versus performing 45:00 Prior generation performers don’t always want to teach 45:42 Don’t steal jokes 48:20 Teaching styles in performing arts 48:50 Your teacher is watching you silently 50:26 Standup comedy culture 51:05 Getting a foundation for performance 53:00 Joe Wong started comedy in class 54:46 What are the benefits of an apprenticeship 58:45 Storytelling isn’t just performance, it’s networking, communicating, and managing relationships 59:30 Henry brought some props! 01:02:42 When you know the basics, you can do anything! 01:04:48 Jesse apprenticed with Master Ding for a few years 01:08:20 It’s always too good to have more tea friends and performers on the pod!