Dan or female roles includes the young and the middle-aged, the innocent and dissolute, girls with martial arts skills and old women. It has Zhengdan (or Qingyi), Huadan, Wudan, Laodan and Caidan, according to their age, characteristics and social positions of the roles.
Zhengdan refers to young or middle-aged women who are modest and elegant. Most of Zhengdan dressed in a blue gown. That’s why Zhengdan is also called Qingyi (blue clothes).
Laodan usually represents aged women. They sings in mild tones.
Wudan refers to female role skilled in the martial arts and can be subdivided into Daomadan and Wudan, according to the social positions and skills represented.
Huadan is a role for young woman or some open merry women.
Reference
Caidan, also called Choudan, represents clownish and cunning females.
