"Ask if you are thirsty first, and then ask if you are hungry." On February 11, in the rehearsal hall of the Beijing Peking Opera Theater, Chang Qiuyue was rehearsing the play "Kan Yuchuan" that will be staged the next day.

Although she has performed this play on stage many times, she did not slack in the slightest during rehearsals, ranging from stage adjustments to minor lines.

　　The play "Kan Yu Chuan" requires actors to work in Tsing Yi first, and later in Hua Dan.

Chang Qiuyue's artistic style of learning from others' strengths and eclecticism is very suitable for the way of switching back and forth in this play.

"I don't need to limit myself by profession or genre", and being able to form such an artistic style may have laid the groundwork for her when she embarked on the road of learning Peking Opera art.

　　Chang Qiuyue's father was a fan of Peking Opera, influenced by her father, Chang Qiuyue studied opera in the "Green Grass Class" for children since she was a child.

At that time, she studied "Hujiazhuang" with Huang Ping, a teacher at the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Opera.

At the age of preparing for the drama school, she learned another version of "Hujiazhuang" from Ye Hongzhu, a famous Wudan artist of Beijing Peking Opera Theatre.

As a student of Daomadan and Huadan, Chang Qiuyue learned the Song style "Hujiazhuang" from Song Jingyuan after entering the opera school.

"As soon as "Hujiazhuang" came out, I learned three versions. It can be seen that the art of Peking Opera is rich and colorful, and I can never finish it in a lifetime." From the beginning of learning opera, Chang Qiuyue has the consciousness of learning the strengths of other schools of art.

　　"On the road of learning opera, my master has been kind to me." Chang Qiuyue's master is Sun Yumin, a direct disciple of Peking Opera master Xun Huisheng.

In 1990, Chang Qiuyue was admitted to the Beijing Opera Art School (now the Beijing Opera Art Vocational College); in 1991, Sun Yumin was transferred here to serve as the principal, and the fate of the two masters and apprentices began.

　　Sun Yumin attaches great importance to the cultivation of this "good seedling".

With her help, Chang Qiuyue continued to improve in Huadan performance.

Sun Yumin personally taught her Xun School repertoires such as "Golden Yunu", "Matchmaker" and "Red Mansion Eryou".

Encouraged by Sun Yumin, Chang Qiuyue learned performing arts from teachers of different professions and genres.

"The time in the drama school was the accelerated period of my growth. I learned Mei School's "Universal Front" and "Farewell My Concubine" from Teacher Yu Yuheng, and I learned from Teacher Cui Rongying from Shang School's "Lost Son and Frightened Crazy". The teacher learned Shangpai's "Po Hongzhou" and "Da Dengdian"... After careful calculation, I have learned more than 60 plays in the past few years in the drama school." Chang Qiuyue said.

　　After graduation, Chang Qiuyue entered the Beijing Peking Opera Theater to work, but she still did not stop studying.

In 2005, by chance, Chang Qiuyue was able to learn Xiaopai performing arts from Chen Yongling, a famous Beijing opera artist.

It was also this year that Chang Qiuyue ushered in a peak in her acting career.

　　In 2005, Chang Qiuyue participated in the Fifth National TV Competition for Young Peking Opera Actors.

In the final, Chang Qiuyue took part in the competition with an excerpt from the Xiao school play "Cuiping Mountain", which has been rarely seen on the Peking Opera stage for many years.

Gentle and attractive singing voice, swaying figure, romantic performance style... Once the competition was broadcast, the audience immediately remembered the name of this new actor and the "Cuiping Mountain" she brought, and she was also in the competition Won the gold medal in the Huadan category.

　　In fact, Chang Qiuyue's performance was carefully designed by Chen Yongling for her competition.

"Ms. Chen's "Cuiping Mountain" is the opening poem. In order to help me show my singing, reading and doing more comprehensively, he designed a section of Nan Bangzi's singing at the opening. In addition, he also designed the swinging steps and water sleeves These have added a lot to my performance. I hope my performance will allow more people to see the art of Xiaopai." Recalling the time when she learned drama with her teacher, Chang Qiuyue was a little choked up.

At that time, Chen Yongling was already seriously ill, and he watched the live broadcast of the student's game in the ward.

　　In 2006, Chen Yongling died of illness.

Before that, he taught Chang Qiuyue Xiao School repertoires such as "Battle of Wancheng" and "Oolong Courtyard", which allowed Xiao School style to be integrated into Chang Qiuyue's performance.

Chang Qiuyue called the experience of learning opera from Chen Yongling as "catching the dragon's tail".

While remembering her mentor, Chang Qiuyue is also thinking about how to better inherit these "endangered" performing arts.

"When performing "Cuiping Mountain" and "Warning Wancheng", many audiences, even some predecessors of Peking Opera, had never heard of these plays. I was surprised and very sad." Since then, Chang Qiuyue has thought about making the old man It is of great significance to the inheritance of art that these "fun things" of ours are put on the stage again.

　　She learned "Xiu Ru Ji" from the famous Xun School Huang Shaohua, and "Mei Yu Pei" from the old artists Ma Yuqi and Wen Ruhua... For more than ten years, she has done a lot of work to sort out and revise old dramas, and let the audience see many of them. In a rare repertoire on stage, I also saw Chang Qiuyue, who has integrated a variety of performance styles and developed in an all-round way.

　　In 2022, a still photo of Master when he was young aroused Chang Qiuyue's curiosity: In the photo, Sun Yumin was on stage wearing a silver mask, wearing a fanny pack, and holding a cup in his hand.

Chang Qiuyue looked through the information and found out that the play was called "Butterfly Cup".

This year, the Beijing Peking Opera Theater launched a project to excavate and sort out rehearsals. Chang Qiuyue immediately called Sun Yumin, wanting to rehearse the play.

"Master said at the time that this was a play she acted in when she was young, and she forgot. But the master introduced me to Mrs. Liu Yuling, a famous clapper artist in Hebei Province. "Butterfly Cup" is her masterpiece." With Liu Yuling's help, Chang Qiuyue completed the script Organize work.

She cut out the complicated and simplified, and integrated several long plots into a Siping tune, making the rhythm of the script more relaxed.

　　"There are not many video materials for reference. Fortunately, I found the recording of the complete performance of "Butterfly Cup" by Yun Yanming, a famous Huadan artist. It would be great if I could learn this play from her while she was alive." Chang Qiuyue said.

In the second half of last year, the Peking Opera "Butterfly Cup" met with the audience, and Chang Qiuyue's efforts to rehearse the play were once again recognized by the audience.

　　On February 12, with the end of the performance of "Kan Yu Chuan", Chang Qiuyue's frequent performances since the Spring Festival came to an end.

Next, she is planning to revive Xun Huisheng's representative play "Dan Qing Yin", which is extremely rare on the stage today.

There is a section of Xipi Adagio singing in "Dan Qing Yin". When Xun Huisheng performed "Dan Qing Yin", while completing this singing performance, he also painted an ink landscape painting, which was once talked about by opera fans.

"At present, the script and singing are basically mature, and I am working hard to learn traditional Chinese painting. Although I have some foundation in painting, I have to 'sing at the same time' when performing, singing and painting at the same time. A decent stage." Chang Qiuyue said.

Guangming Daily reporter Yin Zehao