“As a result, the younger generation at home aren’t speaking dialect anymore,” Mr Toh said.
Only 8.7 per cent of residents aged five and above used dialects as the most common language at home in 2020, a drop of 5.6 percentage points from 2010, based on the latest population census.
Mr Toh said that the opera academy gets around the problem by teaching performers to sing in Teochew.
Although some may not understand what they are singing, they follow instructions, he said.
CHALLENGES TROUPES FACE
Challenges remain in attracting young talent, said Ms Javier Lee, a member of the Thau Yong Musical Association. While they may join performing troupes, they may not stay for long, she added.
“Most of them will drop off when they start university. They want to focus on their studies … there’s not really one effective way to keep them with our programmes unless you inculcate some kind of strong desire to do something about this art form,” she said.
While her troupe does not actively recruit people, they are open to anyone who wants to learn traditional performing arts, she said.
Ms Lee said, however, that parents have not been keen on sending their children to learn traditional opera.
“Singaporean parents always have this strong mentality that they must give their children a full enrichment that can enhance their future portfolio,” she said.
“A lot of parents who are looking for enrichment programmes, they would want to have certain kinds of certification,” said Ms Lee, giving the example of piano, which has progressive grading to indicate a learner’s level.
There is no curriculum or certification for Chinese opera as in the past, traditional art groups would simply pass on what they know verbally and train people who were interested, she said.
INTEREST AMONG SOME
However, there are those who are drawn to the art form, like Zen Xun.
His mother saw an article about Nam Hwa and they approached the troupe to see if he would like to perform with them.
“I like the kicking and the swinging, and I saw some performances, so I want to perform,” he told CNA. He also has to perform handstands and cartwheels during the shows.