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Dan role

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Male dan actors

Male actors who specialize in playing dan are referred to as nándàn (男旦); the practice arose during the Qing dynasty due to imperial prohibitions against women performing on stage, considered detrimental to public morality. This practice of female impersonation by male actors was led by Mei Lanfang, one of the most famous dan performers. In the early years of Peking opera, all Dan roles were played by men. Wei Changsheng, a male Dan performer in the Qing court, developed the cai qiao, or "false foot" technique, to simulate the bound feet of women and the characteristic gait that resulted from the practice.

In the late Qing dynasty and the early republic, the performance of actresses became popular. As a result, women were playing increasingly important roles on stage. But Peking opera has been characterized by female impersonation for years, male dan actors were viewed as irreplaceable by female actors.

In Peking opera, the famous Dans are Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Shang Xiaoyun, and Xun Huisheng, all men. In Pingju, the "Four Big Famous Dans" (四大名旦, Sì Dàmíng Dàn) are Ai Lianjun, Bai Yushuang, Liu Cuixia, and Xi Cailian. There were also "Four Small Famous Dans" (四小名旦) Li Shifang, Mao Shilai, Zhang Junqiu, and Song Dezhu.

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