This time of year is an extremely busy one for schools all across Beijing. Between preparing for exams, organizing Christmas fairs and bazaars, and mounting plays and musicals, students and teachers alike are pushed to the absolute limit of their capabilities. It has been no different at the British School of Beijing, Shunyi (BSB Shunyi), where within the span of a few weeks, students prepared a wildly successful musical adapted from the popular 80s movie, Little Shop of Horrors, a show performed over two days with matinee and evening performances.

The ensemble cast of BSB Shunyi perform Little Shop of Horrors the Musical

Even with a talented and diverse cast as that of the BSB Shunyi theater group, it still takes dedication, commitment, and an experienced hand to guide the production from inception to its successful completion. This responsibility falls on Ms. Haley Clark, Director of Performing Arts at BSB Shunyi, and the genius behind the musical numbers so flawlessly executed by the ensemble cast for the Little Shop of Horrors musical.

We spoke with Ms. Clark about what it takes to put on a show of this scale, and what inspires her to keep the tradition of performance art alive.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

HC: I have dual citizenship – I’m from both Brazil and the US. I studied Music Education in the US and Ethnomusicology in Brazil for my Masters. I’m primarily a pianist, but also play several instruments and sing.

What inspired you to go into the world of teaching?

HC: I have always enjoyed teaching. I tutored other students at a young age and just couldn’t stop.

How long have you been at BSB Shunyi?

HC: This is my fifth academic year, so 4.5 years.

Ms. Clark leading the school orchestra

What was the reason behind the selection of Little Shop of Horrors as this year’s musical?

HC: Choosing a show takes months of planning – I look at what students we have, their singing and acting abilities, what shows are currently being licensed in China, what shows the school has done in the past, etc. We try to give the students a good variety as well as a challenge. Last year we did Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which was a family friendly comedy, so Little Shop of Horrors required completely different skills with the acting, singing and dancing. It was the right time and the right group of kids to do this show.

How did you go about preparing your students for their roles and the performance as a whole? 

HC: As the Musical Director, I spend a lot of rehearsal time with the singers – learning and then memorizing correct notes and then putting some soul or emotion into the singing. Students feel so exposed when singing on stage, so often they come to me to request more time going through their songs so they can feel more confident. We set the bar very high and share expectations of professional shows with the students. They are always eager to rise to this challenge.

What were some of the challenges that you faced in the making of the musical?

HC: All the 60s backup harmonies were very difficult to rehearse – one voice at a time and then all three voices together – and then memorizing all of it. It is easiest just to sing the melody, especially when the person next to you is singing something else. We all had to work very hard to get it right.

Another challenge is having to adapt some things after the set is built. We had to redo some dances or change some scenes after we saw how big some of the set pieces were. But this is standard for any show, and we are always prepared to make some adaptations in the final weeks.

Do you have the next production lined up? Care to give us a hint?

HC: Not yet. We’re still not finished with Little Shop – the cast party will be held in the last week of school! But anything is possible in the future, unless we’ve already done it!

What is your plan for the students of BSB Shunyi and what sort of impact would you like to have on your students?

HC: Every year the actors take on more and more responsibilities for the production. We had students who participated in their fifth production this year, and they made their own acting choices and much of the choreography. As a Music teacher, I always tell my instrumental ensembles and choirs that the way I know they’re doing well is if I don’t have to play along with them, if they can do it by themselves. It is the same with the students in the show.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? What are your teaching or personal plans for the future?

HC: I am happy being the Director of Performing Arts at BSB Shunyi, and truly enjoy working with all ages of children on bringing music to life both on stage and in the classroom. I see myself doing this for a long time.

Photos : Courtesy of BSB Shunyi 

The face of your typical international teacher in Beijing for a long time was mainly thought to be white, from North America or Europe. But in the recent past, the demographic of those seeking employment as teachers in Beijing and the greater China has continued to change. That has brought a culture shock of sorts for those in the education world, for parents, students, and the educators themselves. Your average international teacher now might still be from North America, Europe, or Australia, but even from these countries, their inherent cultural and racial diversity has made its way to China. Teachers of African descent, be they North American, European, or African are on the rise, and continue to steadily increase due to changing perceptions of ‘Black’ people as a whole. With that change however, comes some resistance in the way of prevailing stereotypes, racial insensitivity, or lack of awareness about what is acceptable and unacceptable when it comes to interacting with people from other races.

Preston*, an African American teacher has experienced some extent of this in his time as an English teacher living and working in Beijing. But recently, he faced what could be one of the most daunting experiences of his life as a person of color living and working in Beijing.

How long have you been teaching in China?

Three years and four months is how long I’ve been in Beijing. It was in my home city where I attended a networking event of inspiring young professionals. A group of artists, financiers, academics, and entrepreneurs mingling in one room. This group presented their best selves and I, an editor’s assistant at the time, spoke to everyone in the room. I found they all shared a few experiences in common. The most profound one was the experience of studying and working abroad. This was an experience I did not share with my peers. The idea of living abroad made me restless, so I succumbed to the idea. I researched a company to work with in Beijing. Within three weeks, I was on a plane to Beijing.

What are some of the highlights of your experiences teaching in China/ Beijing?

A highlight of working in Beijing is watching the slow progression of my students using the English language to communicate to each other and to me.

What form of culture shock, if any, do you continue to suffer from as a result of working as a teacher in Beijing?

A culture shock experience that I continue to deal with on a daily basis is the invasion of personal space. My coworkers, neighbors, students will get close to me to discreetly smell me, touch me, or take a photo/video of me. For example, last week these events happened in a two-hour time span where a coworker walked into my classroom during my lesson to record me without my permission. After that class, another employee grabbed my arm and said “very strong”. He didn’t verbally greet me beforehand so I was shocked that this [would]happen. Immediately after that incident, I walked into the classroom that I was to deliver a lesson in. I am writing on the chalkboard and I feel something crawling on my hand. I look down to see a student rubbing his fingers on the back of my palm. I turn around to see five students hovering around that student. I asked the students “what are they doing?” with a nervous laugh, then one student replies with a smile “Chocolate”. I was uncomfortable so I yelled for them to sit down in their seats so I could finish setting up the prepared lesson of the day.

Are there times when you have experienced culturally insensitive attitudes or behaviors from your students? What are some examples?

I have experienced racist attitudes from my students. The most recent interaction is being on the receiving end of expletives from some students and being licked by other students.

Tell us about the picture with the “slaves”.

The incident with the photo of “African prisoners abused by Europeans on a ship” was brought to me by my grade 6 students as I walked into the class to begin the lesson. The students pointed at the picture then pointed at me and said: “you, this is you”. My external response was to continue setting up for the lesson of the day. My internal reaction was one of curiosity. I continued with the lesson. When the class was over, the students returned to me after class with the book of the photo. I chose not to engage.

At first, what was your reaction to your students showing you this image?

My initial reaction to the scenario was curiosity. I am still curious to understand why the students did what they did. Since the incident, my coworker and I have questioned the students about it and the students never gave me a clear answer.

What would you advise other teachers of color/ foreign teachers who might have a similar experience to you while teaching in Beijing/China?

My advice to other expats of color in the education field is to always stay curious about the actions of your students; to do one’s due diligence in researching the culture, not only the history of the past but of current events including the media the youth is consuming. We are allowed to have authentic reactions to these situations. Do the groundwork to understand and continue to influence the environment we choose to live in.

Photos: janinesjourneys.com, Center for American Progress, The Guardian