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Turning ladettes to ladies
By Xu Wenwen |
March 15, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A Hangzhou resident was so incensed by the disappearance of decency in modern society, she did something about it. Xu Wenwen meets the well-mannered woman restoring grace among girls.
Du Huiqin has a dream. A dream she feels is a cause for the common good. She dreams of restoring grace in society. The 51-year-old Hangzhou resident works for a local TV station as an editor and is also a calligrapher. She says she was "stimulated" to make her dream a reality.
"I was stimulated by people who live in villas but wear improper clothing. I was stimulated by people in fancy clothing who spit on the road. I was stimulated when I once heard a foreign woman comment 'Chinese women are not elegant' at an international convention.
"Chinese people are getting rich, and we should make our lives more graceful," Du says. "But the course to restore grace that I want to shape, should not be related to money, otherwise it will be exploited for commercial purposes."
Without any experience of running a charity or business, Du was determined to create an "undertaking of grace," to teach citizens how to be graceful for the public's benefit.
She initiated it by cultivating women first.
Jiangnan Graceful Lady School was established in 2009 and offers 24 courses across three series - an image series, which includes etiquette and makeup classes; an art series giving classes in music appreciation, drawing and calligraphy; and a comprehensive series teaching skills such as cookery, psychology, wine tasting and interior design.
"There's no standard 'graceful woman,' but usually we think she is supposed to dress and behave decently, have one or some talents, and be a good wife or mother," says Du. "That's why I started these classes."
Du herself may be capable of teaching calligraphy, but who teaches the other skills?
She shows a long list of core teachers at the school, which surprisingly consists of influential names.
These include Xu Junyue, vice president of the China Guqin Association (guqin is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument); Luo Hongying, a local makeup expert who owns and runs several beauty salons; and Liu Xiaolang, vice secretary general of Zhejiang International Sports Dance Association.
"I dare to run the school because I can use my contacts," says Du who has worked at the TV station for tens of years.
"I ask those distinguished people to be my school's volunteer teachers, they don't charge or charge much less than they should have charged. I find a free venue for classes and parties, and I invite journalist friends to promote the idea so I can recruit students."
Because of her vast network of contacts, the school's classes cost nothing or only cost price.
So far, around 500 people have been attracted to participate in the school's classes, salons and parties.
"Grace needs ambience. No one spits on the floor in a high-end shopping mall," says Du, who believes people can be influenced by other graceful people.
"Classes just teach, while 'models' help people clearly understand the concept of elegance."
The models she refers to are actually female "grace emissaries" who volunteer to help the school. They are women selected or recommended by local colleges and other social organizations.
Huang Jinshuai, who studied at a US university, was recently elected as an "Excellent Returning Student" in Zhejiang Province and was consequently recommended as a "grace emissary."
"I pay lots of attention to my behavior and words since I became the emissary, especially when I attend the school," she says, "and I found women who attend the classes mind their speech and deportment as well. So the ambience does work," she says.
"It is very hard to measure how much grace those ladies have learnt, but I see many of them are grasping a patient manner, which can be reflected by their improved speech, calligraphy and guqin skills." (The latter two demand calmness as a requisite.)
The ages of members at Jiangnan Graceful Lady School vary, yet they do share something in common - they are not poor but from middle and high-class backgrounds.
"To be elegant requires economic foundation," Du explains. "Our slogan is to allow some women to become graceful first. But that doesn't mean my school only caters for rich people, the 'some women' part stands for ladies who are willing to learn grace."
However, since the school is about "grace" and is oriented toward middle and high-class people, the expense to keep it going will become costly.
"At present, I can invite masters to teach and I can rent the venues for classes at a low rate, but this is only temporary," says Du.
"Long-term support, like donations from society, is required so that the cause can last in the long run.
"I can make money by the school if I charge, but I don't," Du says firmly. "I insist it should be a cause for the common good and I believe the importance to educate people to be graceful is no less valuable than helping the poor."
Du Huiqin has a dream. A dream she feels is a cause for the common good. She dreams of restoring grace in society. The 51-year-old Hangzhou resident works for a local TV station as an editor and is also a calligrapher. She says she was "stimulated" to make her dream a reality.
"I was stimulated by people who live in villas but wear improper clothing. I was stimulated by people in fancy clothing who spit on the road. I was stimulated when I once heard a foreign woman comment 'Chinese women are not elegant' at an international convention.
"Chinese people are getting rich, and we should make our lives more graceful," Du says. "But the course to restore grace that I want to shape, should not be related to money, otherwise it will be exploited for commercial purposes."
Without any experience of running a charity or business, Du was determined to create an "undertaking of grace," to teach citizens how to be graceful for the public's benefit.
She initiated it by cultivating women first.
Jiangnan Graceful Lady School was established in 2009 and offers 24 courses across three series - an image series, which includes etiquette and makeup classes; an art series giving classes in music appreciation, drawing and calligraphy; and a comprehensive series teaching skills such as cookery, psychology, wine tasting and interior design.
"There's no standard 'graceful woman,' but usually we think she is supposed to dress and behave decently, have one or some talents, and be a good wife or mother," says Du. "That's why I started these classes."
Du herself may be capable of teaching calligraphy, but who teaches the other skills?
She shows a long list of core teachers at the school, which surprisingly consists of influential names.
These include Xu Junyue, vice president of the China Guqin Association (guqin is a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument); Luo Hongying, a local makeup expert who owns and runs several beauty salons; and Liu Xiaolang, vice secretary general of Zhejiang International Sports Dance Association.
"I dare to run the school because I can use my contacts," says Du who has worked at the TV station for tens of years.
"I ask those distinguished people to be my school's volunteer teachers, they don't charge or charge much less than they should have charged. I find a free venue for classes and parties, and I invite journalist friends to promote the idea so I can recruit students."
Because of her vast network of contacts, the school's classes cost nothing or only cost price.
So far, around 500 people have been attracted to participate in the school's classes, salons and parties.
"Grace needs ambience. No one spits on the floor in a high-end shopping mall," says Du, who believes people can be influenced by other graceful people.
"Classes just teach, while 'models' help people clearly understand the concept of elegance."
The models she refers to are actually female "grace emissaries" who volunteer to help the school. They are women selected or recommended by local colleges and other social organizations.
Huang Jinshuai, who studied at a US university, was recently elected as an "Excellent Returning Student" in Zhejiang Province and was consequently recommended as a "grace emissary."
"I pay lots of attention to my behavior and words since I became the emissary, especially when I attend the school," she says, "and I found women who attend the classes mind their speech and deportment as well. So the ambience does work," she says.
"It is very hard to measure how much grace those ladies have learnt, but I see many of them are grasping a patient manner, which can be reflected by their improved speech, calligraphy and guqin skills." (The latter two demand calmness as a requisite.)
The ages of members at Jiangnan Graceful Lady School vary, yet they do share something in common - they are not poor but from middle and high-class backgrounds.
"To be elegant requires economic foundation," Du explains. "Our slogan is to allow some women to become graceful first. But that doesn't mean my school only caters for rich people, the 'some women' part stands for ladies who are willing to learn grace."
However, since the school is about "grace" and is oriented toward middle and high-class people, the expense to keep it going will become costly.
"At present, I can invite masters to teach and I can rent the venues for classes at a low rate, but this is only temporary," says Du.
"Long-term support, like donations from society, is required so that the cause can last in the long run.
"I can make money by the school if I charge, but I don't," Du says firmly. "I insist it should be a cause for the common good and I believe the importance to educate people to be graceful is no less valuable than helping the poor."
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