Chapter 385: Learning on the Job

The morning sun rose, and sunlight filtered through the glass, casting bizarre and grotesque shapes of frost flowers onto the floor.

The mirrored wall was polished to a shine; Lin Sicheng stood motionless before the mirror, lost in thought.

On the other side, Jing Zeyang, Fang Jin, and Shen Xiaomeng were organizing data.

Just then, with a "creak," the door to the Bian Dao Shi opened, and six or seven people filed in one after another.

Leading them was Editor-in-Chief Liu Hao from the Third Troupe, followed by Cheng Nianjia, the two directors seen yesterday, and four actresses. Two were very familiar—Yu Jingsi and Yang Lin—while the remaining two were strangers.

Looking at Lin Sicheng, Liu Hao smiled: "Little Lin, I heard you are officially starting choreography today. We've come to observe, is that alright?" "You're welcome to!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "But it's still early for choreography; today is just for score translation!"

Liu Hao smiled: "It's all the same!"

Lin Sicheng was noncommittal; he greeted them one by one, then exchanged a look with Jing Zeyang: With the year-end approaching, the troupe's Editor-in-Chief was busier than a dog, yet she actually had time to observe?

Furthermore, why would observing require bringing so many people?

It stood to reason that General Manager Lan must have given the word.

Busy or not, if one's professional expertise was questioned and one's authority challenged, one certainly couldn't sit idly by.

Of course, the old lady wouldn't have any objections. Firstly, they had given notice in advance; secondly, they presented facts and reasoned: in terms of research capability, the Song and Dance Troupe was indeed a bit inferior to the Beijing Dance Academy.

Without further disturbance, the group sat to the side. Before their seats were even warm, another "creak" sounded, and Li Jingting pushed the door open and entered.

Behind him were the two students seen yesterday, and behind them were two more people; all four were carrying large leather trunks.

Just inside the door, Li Jingting was taken aback, as if he hadn't expected so many people.

A quick glance revealed Editor-in-Chief Liu, and he suddenly understood.

One was the nation's premier educational research institution, the other the nation's premier performance institution; the two had frequent dealings and collaborated often. The two weren't exactly close, but they weren't strangers either. Seeing Liu Hao here with so many people in tow, Li Jingting guessed the situation seven or eight times out of ten. Territorial awareness wasn't exclusive to wild beasts; humans were the same.

But it was human nature, and Li Jingting could understand; he would be the same if he were in her shoes...

While pondering, both sides exchanged greetings. Liu Hao looked at the two actors, the two people behind them, and the large trunks in the four people's hands. As expected, two were actors, and of the remaining two, one was for costumes and props, and the other was a makeup artist. Of the four trunks, the first three likely contained costumes and props, while the last one contained makeup supplies.

But the problem was, today was only the first day—why be so formal?

She said half-jokingly: "Professor Li, you take this so seriously, I am truly flattered."

"It's only right!" Li Jingting pointed at Lin Sicheng, "Little Lin is paying for it!"

Although this was a fact, the corners of Liu Hao's mouth couldn't help but twitch.

There was indeed a reason for it, but she always felt that Lin Sicheng's approach was a bit inconsiderate: the Song and Dance Troupe also had experts.

But then again: if Lin Sicheng went to the General Manager and said he wanted to translate a score and would pay a consultation fee, the old lady would refuse one hundred percent. Because the focus was different, the responsibilities were even more so, and with the year-end approaching, the Song and Dance Troupe was truly busy.

Including today, despite so many people coming, it was actually just a show of force. Wait until tomorrow and see...

In a flash of thought, Li Jingting introduced the two assistants.

Makeup certainly wasn't necessary, but the clothes definitely had to be changed, otherwise many movements would be distorted.

Letting Shen Xiaomeng take the two actors to change, Lin Sicheng explained his general plan.

"Professor Li, let's start translating the score. This is how I've prepared: translate, record, compose, and storyboard all four directions simultaneously... Once enough dance postures are translated, we will adjust the body rhythm and tempo. After that, we will proceed to sequence and integrate..."

Having seen the draft yesterday, Li Jingting roughly knew Lin Sicheng's plan, but he didn't quite understand it.

Firstly, the cost: whether it was choreography or score translation, the standard practice was to compose first.

One had to use the brief, headache-inducing text scores in the dance manual to speculatively reconstruct the blurry, dizzying figures of the dancers.

To put it simply: the dancers in the ancient scores were complete movements; one needed to speculatively translate and break down the process of reaching that movement. For example, where the hand started, and how it was raised to the top of the head. Whether the footwork started with the left hip or the right, whether the orientation was forward or diagonal, and whether the rhythm was steady or slow then fast.

The dance manual did have hints, but they were all like this: /、、Eight、……、、Up、C、II、Xie、You, as well as Gen, Li, Kun, Gan. Or else like this:

Dance Dance Dance Dance Receive Connect Right Receive Receive Connect

Dance Dance Dance Dance Connect Receive Connect Right Receive Connect Record

Record Record Right Record Record Strike Strike Left Strike Right Strike Strike Left...

Let alone translating, if one wasn't a professional researcher of ancient music and dance history, one wouldn't even understand what the symbols meant.

But how was Lin Sicheng doing it?

Translating the score on the spot, composing on the spot.

Even for a professional, like Li Jingting, he would need to break down a single figure from an ancient score into at least thirty to fifty decomposition diagrams. Even in his best state, he would have to study one figure for at least a day.

And that was only with enough assistants, complete data, and the ability to look up any entry at any time.

It was the exact opposite: the actors posed and storyboarded, and this set of movements could probably be completed in less than two minutes. If Lin Sicheng had any questions, and asked him, the expert, for guidance, it would probably take only two or three minutes.

That meant at most five or six minutes, and their work would be done. And for these five or six minutes, Lin Sicheng would spend at least four thousand yuan.

So, why not translate enough decomposition diagrams first before storyboarding?

Secondly, the order: let the actors storyboard first, then compose? And doing gestures, footwork, body posture, rhythm, and expression all at once? What was Lin Sicheng trying to do: prepare to do it all in one take?

It wasn't that Li Jingting looked down on him: let alone a college student who was basically a layman, go ask Director Yan, or General Manager Lan, if they had that kind of confidence?

Therefore, Li Jingting was particularly confused.

But as the saying goes: what needed to be reminded had been reminded, and what needed to be persuaded had been persuaded.

It wasn't just him, but also Liu Hao and Cheng Nianjia: in their view, Lin Sicheng's method not only overturned industry conventions but also overturned their habitual understanding.

As for the remaining two directors, they weren't as surprised because they weren't very professional.

After a short moment of daze, the two actors finished changing and came out of the dressing room.

Green water sleeves, black silk trousers—they were extremely well-fitted. The hairstyle was simple, the most common Hanging Cloud Bun of the Han Dynasty. It was just tied up casually, the loose and baggy kind.

Taking a look, Lin Sicheng praised inwardly: I have to say, Professor Li put in the effort; these two students were truly well-chosen.

Good-looking, good figures, and even better temperament. Standing there, they could make one's eyes light up.

The key was the temperament they carried—silent and still, yet faintly revealing a few traces of Han Dynasty charm and ancient rhythm.

After a quick scan, Lin Sicheng smiled: "Professor Li, let's begin!"

Li Jingting nodded, meaning it was up to him.

Then, he took out his laptop, ready to fill in the gaps for Lin Sicheng.

Regardless, Lin Sicheng had spent the money. Moreover, Director Yan had given instructions more than once: although this kid was a layman and a novice, his teacher had a very impressive background.

Don't be perfunctory when you go, don't be impatient, try to be patient, and cooperate well.

Setting these aside, as a well-known professor and Expert in the industry, Li Jingting also had his own professional ethics: either don't do it, or do it well... Seeing the stance of the two, the others were invigorated.

It is said that laymen watch the excitement, while insiders watch the technique; the more professional one is, the more curious one becomes.

For example, Cheng Nianjia and Editor-in-Chief Liu; they were incomparably expectant: how would Lin Sicheng translate this score and choreograph this dance today?

While thinking to himself, Lin Sicheng picked up the photocopy of the ancient score and pinned it to the whiteboard on the left with a magnet.

On the right was a drawing board, with brushes and paper fully prepared. Behind him was Fang Jin, and in front of him were two conference tables pushed together to form a long desk, covered with photocopies of Cultural Relics photos and reference materials.

They were of all kinds, Five Flowers and Eight Gates: there were murals, stone carvings, pottery figurines, Gold-gilding pots, and even historical documents and materials, as well as various classical dance materials. Lin Sicheng first looked at the dancer figure on the ancient score and the dance notation below it, which consisted of only five or six short symbols, then turned around and flipped through the materials in front of Fang Jin.

He flipped through the photos first, then the historical materials, for about five or six minutes. Finally, he picked up a book on classical dance.

Not only did he flip through it, he also muttered: "Top Hips Support Cheeks, this should be the Contemplative Bodhisattva in Dunhuang Dance... Professor Li, if explained using the professional terminology of modern dance studies, what should this movement of the Contemplative Bodhisattva in Dunhuang Dance be called, and on which page is it?"

Everyone was stunned in unison: what the heck?

It is no exaggeration to say that every single one of them, whether director or actor, had eyes opened wider than the next.

Does this mean you don't even understand the academic terms for the ancient-to-modern comparison of classical dance?

Then what kind of score are you translating?

Looking at the book in his hand, "China Classical Body Rhyme Teaching," Li Jingting didn't know what to say: No... are you learning it now to translate it now? Student Lin, by the time you translate the score, your hair and beard will probably be white...

He was stunned for a long while, then let out a deep sigh: "This style is called Folded Waist Contemplation Style, in Chapter Four, Teaching Implementation Combination Class: Plate, Hand, Side, Lift, Jump..."

"Oh, found it... Huh, there are actually body posture and joint hints? Tsk tsk, this is good..."

Flipping to the chapter Li Jingting mentioned, Lin Sicheng exclaimed in approval, scanned it carefully for two glances, and pondered slightly.

Immediately, he looked at the two students: "What are your surnames?"

"My surname is Zhao, Zhao Sisi... My surname is Su, Su Rong..."

"Good, you two prepare... Student Zhao: Side Hip Top Angle, Hip Abduction 25°, Lumbar Spine Lateral Flexion angle, L3 Vertebra deviation 30°. At the same time, shift the center of gravity, move right 15cm..."

"Student Su: Cheek Support, elbow joint: flexion 105°, forming a 'jade ring' curve. Wrist joint: dorsiflexion 20°, Radial Deviation 10°... Finger joints: middle finger against the lower edge of the zygomatic arch... Oh right..."

As if suddenly remembering, Lin Sicheng pointed at the book and read: "Pay attention to the head axis curve: head and neck axis chin tilt angle: 25°, glance angle: left turn 45° + upward tilt 15°. Eye focus: create a 'contemplative' artistic conception..."

"Also: Top Hips store power, Reverse Abdominal Breathing, increase abdominal pressure to stabilize the lumbar spine. Cheek Support hold the shape and hold breath for 2 seconds, strengthen muscle tension to shape. When the glance turns, exhale long and thin for three seconds, relax the trapezius muscle, and reveal the neck line..."

"There's also this: Heel pushes the ground → knee slightly bent → pelvis pushes right → waist lateral flexion left → intercostal muscle contraction → scapula sinks → elbow draws an arc → finger touches cheekbone... Everyone was stunned: No... are you really learning it now to translate it now?

The problem is, what is written in the book is one thing, and what is performed on stage is another. Never have I seen anyone translate an ancient score by reading directly from a modern textbook.

Only Li Jingting felt more and more that something was wrong the more he listened.

The precautions were indeed all those, including the sequence of changes in the postures of the limbs at the end, because that was how it was marked in the teaching materials. Lin Sicheng was reading it, so he certainly wouldn't read it wrong.

But the preceding paragraphs were wrong: the angles of each joint, the breathing and movement coupling at each stage of the movement. Such as Reverse Abdominal Breathing, holding breath slightly, etc. He didn't remember the textbook specifying how many degrees, or how many seconds each exhalation and inhalation should be.

Having taught classical dance for half a lifetime, he wouldn't dare say he had memorized the entire textbook, but Li Jingting could at least guarantee that he would never misremember which books had what and which did not.

Suspicious, he stood up and walked to Lin Sicheng's side.

He looked down and took another peek: Sure enough?

The textbook only wrote which joints needed to be linked when performing this set of movements; it didn't write how many degrees, how many seconds to exhale, or how many seconds to inhale at all.

Li Jingting had a strange look on his face: "Little Lin, where did these data for joints, angles, and breath-holding come from?"

"Speculation!" Lin Sicheng said straightforwardly, pointing to the ancient score on the whiteboard, "Of course, calling it conjecture wouldn't be wrong either!"

Staring at the dancer figure on the whiteboard, Li Jingting's eyes popped: Conjecture, isn't that just guessing randomly?

This is translating an ancient score, it is restoration and re-creation, not playing house where you can decide whatever angle you want.

Translating it like this, how much rationality can the translated movements have?

Let alone the watchability on stage.

Seeing his surprised look, Lin Sicheng smiled and pointed at the two students: "Professor Li, are these angled movements difficult to complete?"

What is difficult to complete?

Not to mention thirty degrees, a one-hundred-eighty-degree iron bridge or a split is just basic training for dance students...

While thinking to himself, he turned his head and was stunned again: the two students were staring with wide eyes and open mouths, fixedly watching Lin Sicheng.

It seemed they were frightened.

But it wasn't strange: even he, the teacher, was shocked, let alone the two students?

"What are you standing there for, do the movement?" Li Jingting sighed, "Every minute is money, it's quite expensive!"

Suddenly, everyone showed a strange expression: Professor Li, are you being sarcastic?