Hard Childhood, the Elf of the Pear Garden

In the salute of the birth of New China in 1949, Zhao Yinqiu was born in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. She was of the same age as the Republic of China. However, her father, Deng Guangqing, was a major general of the Kuomintang and fled to Taiwan with the defeated Kuomintang. Her mother died less than a year after giving birth to her. All this is an arrangement of fate. What unfolds in front of Zhao Yinqiu is a rough road full of sadness and tears. After losing the love of her parents, she was adopted by her aunt, who saved her life. However, living under someone else's roof means eating cold food and wearing rags. She struggled on the line of life and death until she was eight years old and moved to Zhengzhou, Henan. Chen Suzhen's drummer Liu Xiangyin (former drummer of the Provincial Henan Opera Troupe No. 2) took pity on this little girl. I found that she is smart, smart, has two big eyes that can convey thoughts, and is willing to endure hardships. He took her to the Henan Opera Troupe in Linzhang County, Hebei Province. Here she played a minor role, worked as a maid, and then entered the opera garden. In 1959, the Dongfeng Theater Troupe selected outstanding students, and was chosen by the teacher Jin Xiaofei who was in charge of admissions. Zhao Yinqiu was selected into the Handan Art School in Hebei.

Handan Art School, led by Chen Suzhen and Sang Zhenjun, is standardized and strict. Zhao Yinqiu practiced very hard at school and concentrated on learning opera and singing. Her "understanding" was deeply loved by teachers such as Chen Suzhen, Sang Zhenjun, Song Shuyun and others. Her profession is designated as Hua Dan, Gui Men Dan, and Dao Ma Hua Dan. When she was still a student, Chen Suzhen played the role of a mute slave in Baicaoping, Hebei Province, when she was invited by the crowd to perform the role of Universe Frontier. Zhao Yinqiu loves to study, is diligent in studying, endures hardships, and endures hard work. He does somersaults and back-stepping like male students. Some students have not yet learned the tricks and body movements, but she has learned them. As we all know, traditional opera is passed down step by step by the teacher's hand and mouth. Hu Xiaofeng, Zhao Yinqiu's senior sister, recalled: Maomao [Zhao Yinqiu's nickname] was very smart when she was a child. She imitated everything she learned and had a strong ability to imitate. Whenever she goes out to observe or transplant new plays, Maomao is always indispensable, because she can memorize the basic outline of the whole play after watching it once, so that she can come back to rehearse. In the past few years, she received Chen Suzhen's true teachings and strict teachings, learned and performed masterpieces of the Chen School of art such as "Jade Bracelet Picking Up", "Universal Front", "Brahma Palace", "Spring and Autumn Matches", "Three Whistles", etc. She was once recommended to China He studied at the Opera School (the predecessor of the China Academy of Opera) and was personally taught Shuixiu Gong by Shang Xiaoyun, one of the four famous actors. In Beijing, I watched many high-level performances by famous actors from Beijing and Kunming. These opportunities broadened her horizons and laid a solid foundation for her to become an outstanding actor.

Working hard on the plateau

As time goes by, under the training of famous teachers, Handan Art School has a large number of rising stars, especially female actors. Zhao Yinqiu's opera "genius and aura" also appeared on the stage. Zhao Yinqiu, who is kind-hearted and aloof from the world, hates the old custom of "enemies who work together" in the opera house. In her words, if two people fight for a steamed bun, they will not be full and both will suffer. Zhao Yinqiu, who is in his prime and in the prime of life, is looking for a new place to display his artistic dreams. What a coincidence. At this time, the Henan Opera Troupe in Baoji City in the northwest was in urgent need of a leading actor. Her teacher in charge, Song Shuyun, recommended Zhao Yinqiu to apply. In this way, a girl who has suffered a lot puts her dreams of life entirely on the stage - this world that makes her obsessed! Zhao Yinqiu, who was penniless and had almost no luggage, flew across the Yellow River and across the mountains like a bird, settling in Baoji and building a nest. She firmly believes that gold will shine wherever it is placed.

Baoji is the “Second Hometown of Henan Opera” developed by predecessors such as Chang Xiangyu and Chen Suzhen in the 1940s. During the Japanese invasion of China, hundreds of thousands of Henan people fled here and thrived. Henan people have formed a unique group of fans of Henan Bangzi Opera. When she arrived, the troupe was performing in Tianshui. The first opera was "Universal Frontier". Zhao Yinqiu's glorious appearance and skillful singing in Xiangfu tune and Hexi tune were like flowers blooming, refreshing the audience. Her acting skills, The singing dazzled a generation of theater fans on the Loess Plateau!

Zhao Yinqiu has worked in Baoji for seventeen years. First, Chen sent a few classic plays to open up the situation. Later, "The Legend of White Snake" which integrated the versions of Henan Opera and Peking Opera and the new historical drama "Yang Qiniang" were the most successful. The characteristic of these two dramas is that they fully demonstrate Zhao Yinqiu's all-round talent in singing, acting, reading and playing the role of a female lead! The main singing style of White Snake adopts the Chang style singing style, and the whole drama refers to the Peking Opera version. For the White Snake she plays, all the skills (water sleeves, kaida) are based on the plot character. She keeps in mind Chen Suzhen’s teaching of “don’t give up until your art is amazing”. After becoming the lead actor, team leader, and first-class actor, I studied and practiced even more diligently.

She puts the wise saying "Ten years of work off stage, one minute on stage" into practice every day. In those years, she got up before dawn, quietly walked onto the stage alone, and began to seriously practice kicking, rounding, lowering, and doing the splits. By the time the morning light showed in the sky, she was already panting and sweating profusely. After getting married and having a child, she had no one to take care of her, so she put her child by the stage and insisted on practicing every day. Sometimes her residence is far away from her practice place, so she carries her child to the practice ground and insists on practicing the basic skills without leaving the radar. Once, she went on stage to practice Kungfu by herself and tied her one-year-old daughter to the bed. She was afraid that it would be too cold, so she turned on the electric blanket. result. The child wet the bed and wet the electric wires, causing the child to get electric shock, trembling, and short of breath. Fortunately, her colleagues discovered it early, otherwise she would have lost her beloved daughter. However, this time my daughter was electrocuted, resulting in hypoplasia of the mitral valve in her heart. As the leader of a troupe, Zhao Yinqiu often thinks deeply: for a Henan opera troupe from other provinces to remain invincible, it must firstly rely on its artistic level, and secondly, continuously enrich its repertoire. Zhao Yinqiu has never been satisfied with the status quo. They have rehearsed plays such as "The Civet Cat for the Prince", "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai", "Flowers in the Court", "Spring Grass in the Hall", "Yang Bajie Stealing the Knife", "Hongyungang", "Hundred Generals Crossing" and "Li Shuangshuang". Later, she returned to Zhengzhou many times, visiting various schools to learn every move, and composed Henan operas such as "Hao Hong", "Big Sacrificial Stake", "Mu Guiying Takes the Command", "Qin Xuemei", "Panfu Sofu" and "Selling Miao Lang". genre play. During Zhao Yinqiu's seventeen years in Shaanxi, she won ten "first prizes" in various professional opera competitions she participated in. The stages in Baoji and Xi'an are where she displays her artistic talent. Flowers and applause are the greatest rewards the audience gives her.

At the same time, she also experienced obstacles and setbacks in her life. She cherishes her family and takes care of her children. But she cannot accept her husband who has different aspirations, principles, and lifestyles that are incompatible with her. She had no choice but to choose separation resolutely! ...

Here, we have to talk about another past incident: Zhao Yinqiu, who was in his prime, had a serious problem with his voice. Surgery is necessary, but the use of anesthesia is very risky and may end her acting career. Zhao Yinqiu could not sleep day and night, weighing the pros and cons, and decided not to use anesthetics. The army experts and doctors were amazed that a young artist could do such a thing for the sake of art! With tears of admiration, the doctor respected the artist's choice. During the forty-five-minute operation, Zhao Yinqiu was sweating profusely and said nothing. He scratched his palm with his fingers and endured the huge pain of the sharp blade slicing his skin. The surgery was a success!

"Drama" returns to its roots and creates greater glory

Around the 1990s, Henan Opera developed rapidly and became the first place in local opera. Zhao Yinqiu was attracted by the unprecedented prosperity of Henan drama. She went through great troubles and got the director of Baoji Culture to approve her application to be transferred back to Henan. She was transferred to the Henan Luohe City Yu Opera Troupe, which was in urgent need of leading roles. With her infatuated love for the art of opera, she began a new journey of "chasing her dreams". After arriving at her new unit, she was immediately rushed to rehearse her repertoire and put on a show immediately. Time flies, year after year. The heavy performances in spring, summer, autumn and winter provided little respite. Zhao Yinqiu was once hospitalized for emergency treatment due to stomach bleeding caused by his overloaded workload. In order not to put the troupe into trouble and affect the entire troupe's financial income, she insisted on performing day and night even though she had not recovered from her illness and had to remove the diaphragm before going on stage. In Luohe, the new lead actor is good at singing and popular, and has a good reputation. Zhao Yinqiu was elected as a deputy to the Municipal People's Congress, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and a member of the Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference. In order to participate in the third Henan Drama Competition, Luohe City decided to re-perform the famous Chen-style drama "The Leper Girl" and specially invited Master Chen Suzhen from Tianjin to return to Henan as the artistic director. For Zhao Yinqiu, being able to cooperate with her first teacher is a once-in-a-lifetime blessing. But Zhao Yinqiu had no confidence at first. Because she is good at playing young, sunny, lively and action-oriented Hua Dan, and does not like tragic roles. Inspired by her adoptive mother and mentor Chen Suzhen and the playwright Mr. Shi Lei, she focuses on capturing the character's mentality from the depths of the plot and characters, and through performances and singing, an innocent girl struggles out of suffering and despair. Process, art is reproduced on the stage. Master Chen also taught Zhao Yinqiu earnestly that an actor who can only act in one type is not a truly good actor. Inspired by the master, Zhao Yinqiu broadened his horizons and found a method. The Qiu Liyu she created tightly grasps the main thread of the character of "innocence, kindness, and selfless love", and uses Chen style's unique steps, sleeves, eyes, fingering, and singing mainly in Xiangfu tune to make No. 1 The artistic image of the character Qiu Liyu is lifelike.

The artistic form and content are perfectly combined, such as the "bridal chamber" scene, Qiu Liyu's tearful and soul-stirring male and female duet, this lyrical singing that combines Xiangfu tune and Yuxi tune, plus Zhao Yin Qiu Sheng's passionate singing is tear-jerking and touching. It deeply reveals Qiu Liyu’s noble brilliance of humanity. Another example is the scene of "Resurgence from Shock". Zhao Yinqiu used her solid Shui Xiu Kungfu and skilled "rolling out" skills to vividly express Qiu Liyu's final struggle to call for life, pushing the drama to a climax! ...Gu Yue, a famous film and television actor and the actor of Mao Zedong, said after watching "Leper Girl": This is a rare good show I have seen in many years! Qiu Liyu, played by Zhao Yinqiu, is a tearful beauty who is "more beautiful when she cries than when she laughs!" This play was performed at the Henan People's Theater in Zhengzhou for a month. Master Chang Xiangyu watched it many times, went to the backstage to meet all the performers, and went to the residence Talk about your opinions and feelings." Since then, "The Leper Girl" has lived up to expectations and won the Grand Prize of the 3rd Henan Province Drama Competition. This is also the first time Zhao Yinqiu has won an award in Henan, and later won the gold medal at China's "Azalea Drama Festival". "National Young and Middle-aged Opera Actors TV Competition Silver Screen Award." plus the Shaanxi Province "Tengfei Cup" and other ten first prizes for performances. All this is the country's comprehensive recognition of her contribution to the theater career.

Zhao Yinqiu feels very lucky that she and Master Chen Suzhen have been together day and night for four months to prepare for this drama, and the two masters and apprentices have a good rapport. The 72-year-old Chen Suzhen led her to practice martial arts and singing, discuss the details of the performance with her, and listen to the master's artistic knowledge. Master Chen Suzhen said: "Maomao is a malleable talent." Their teacher-student relationship was sublimated, and Master Chen Suzhen held a grand ceremony at Luohe Blue Sky Hotel to officially recognize Zhao Yinqiu as his adopted daughter.

The afterglow of the setting sun remains the same

Zhao Yinqiu went through the retirement procedures in 2004. But as she "retires without giving up," she seems to have gained more space to continue her career in opera, which she has loved all her life. She was employed as the academic director at Wang Xiling Art School for eight years. She is both a "strict father" and a "loving mother" because she keeps in mind the ancient adage of "once a teacher, always a father". I know that the power of ‘role models’ is infinite. It is no exaggeration to say that her "teaching by example" is better than "teaching by words." Her true talent and practical learning earned the students sincere admiration. In Zhao Yinqiu's singing and opera rehearsing class, the students were completely silent, and there was a strong atmosphere of reverence for art. In daily life, the children gathered around her and talked about everything. Zhao Yinqiu, who is over sixty years old, can now be said to be "all over the world". But she never mentioned that many of the Xiaomiao people she "enlightened" have grown up to become talents. Some have joined the People's Army, some have settled abroad to continue spreading Chinese opera culture, and some have been admitted to national institutions of higher learning with excellent results to continue their studies. There are also some child stars who have won multiple awards in competitions. Don’t you know that many of these children are cubs that she has taught hand-in-hand and mouth-to-mouth? When she saw a familiar face on TV, she burst into tears, feeling sincerely happy that the "seeds" she had sown had sprouted and grown.

Zhao Yinqiu, who was born for art and excelled in art, became a famous actress. She went through ups and downs and walked out step by step. But she never gave up her lifelong pursuit of opera art. In 2010, 62-year-old Zhao Yinqiu was appointed as the director of Kaifeng Yu Theater. As soon as he took office, he planned to revive Master Chen Suzhen's most representative masterpiece "Three Whistle Sleeves". This was Chen Suzhen's last wish, and it was also a major event that Zhao Yinqiu regarded as his destiny. In order to reproduce the all-round acting skills of the number one character in the play, both as a life and a female, as well as in both civil and military roles, and to authentically embody the artistic conception of Master Fan Cuiting, Zhao Yinqiu woke up at midnight and stayed up until dusk, forgetting to sleep and eat, and restored his youthful self. Only actors can do the "holding up and lowering the waist" practice assiduously in thick-soled boots and straps. Kaifeng is the birthplace of Henan Opera, and industry insiders praise Zhao Yinqiu as a "hard-working man". They are worried about her overloaded physical effort. It is not good for health. Zhao Yinqiu said humorously: "In order to reappear on the stage of San Fuxiu and not be lost, I, Zhao Yinqiu, am mentally prepared to risk my life! "When she was in Kaifeng, she actively participated in sending plays to the countryside, playing major roles both day and night. In 2011, due to overwork in the Luohe area, she fainted on the stone ground and suffered a serious head injury. Rural conditions are limited and there is no Despite any emergency treatment, she could not change the performance schedule, but she endured the severe pain and miraculously persisted in performing the two major dramas day and night {Miao Miao Lang and Mu Guiying as the director}...

Someone! Senior theater fans said: Zhao Yinqiu is a fashionable and traditional artist.

Walking into her home of just over fifty square meters, the furnishings are simple, simple and elegant, and orderly. Flowers and plants cover the whole house, such as: dripping Guanyin, asparagus bamboo, jasper, green apple, ink orchid, jasmine... There are also sea, land and air to keep her company. "Sea" refers to tropical goldfish; "land" refers to the puppy; "empty" refers to the red-billed parrot. Then there are the dazzling stills and calligraphy and paintings from different periods on the wall; two photos of her with Master Chen Suzhen and Master Chang Xiangyu are in very eye-catching positions; and then there is another. A computer is placed next to the pillow in the bedroom. Just what we see is enough for us to touch the sunny spiritual world of the owner of the room.

“Play is my heaven, play is my soul. It is my life, drama is my root." These are the words in "Xiang Jiuxiao" by drama master Pei Yanling. Queen of Henan Opera Chen Suzhen said: Be a serious person and act seriously. Drama performing artist Mr. Yu Zhi said : “An actor should at least be a good person. These enlightening words are the spiritual wealth of our descendants of opera. I wish Zhao Yinqiu always be a good person and the tree of art be evergreen!