47.7

This is a set from a documentary I made a few years ago featuring a troupe of retirees who perform traditional Chinese folk opera in various parks across Liuzhou City.

They get together in their spare time to perform on holidays and weekends. They include not only the stage performers, but musicians, support personnel and even some groupie-like audience members who travel from park to park, never missing a show.

Some of these folks were at one time professional performers but now they are just doing what they can to keep the traditional art alive. It's purely a labor of love. Despite losing a step and strained voices they are still enthusiastic and spend hours rehearsing and making their own costumes.

These portraits were taken in Ma'anshan Park during the Chinese Labor Day Holiday on what was a perfect afternoon for photography. The troupe was performing in brilliant sunlight that was perfectly filtered by a stand of huge trees that surround the main stage.