Mei Lanfang
MeiLanfang(1894-1961),theoutstandingexponentofBeijingOpera,wasthegreatmasterofChina'sdramaticart.
Withpatriotismandadeeploveforhispeople,MeiLanfangdedicatedhiswholelifetotheartofBeijingOpera.Duringhisstagecareeroverhalfacentury,heshowedgreatskillinheritingthebesttraditionsofthepastandadaptingthemtoalnewstageToenrichandamelioratetheChinesestageheconstantlyandconscientiouslysoughttoimprovehisartandcreatedmanylivelyandunforgettableartisticimagesbygatheringtogetherthebestofthelocalandnationaloperas.Heblendedacting,singinganddancinginoneperformance,turningtheBeijingOperaintoacolorful,comprehensiveartofthehigheststageeffects.Asaresult,hehadawiderepertoire,formedhisownoriginalstyleanddevelopedwhathasbecomeunanimoulyacceptedasthe"MeiLanfangSchool"--aschoolwithuniquecharacteristicsandsubtledignity.MeiblazedanewpathforhisBeijingOperacontemporaries.Hewasacceptedworldwideandapplaudedasagreatartistandtheembodimentofbeauty.
MeiLanfangwasthefirsttointroduceBeijingOperatotheworldandmadesuccessfultourstoJapan(1919,1924and1956),theUnitedStates(1930)andtheSovietUnion(1935and1952).Inrecognitionofhisliteraryandartisticachievements,twoAmericanuniversities,theUniversityofSouthernCaliforniaandthePomonaCollege,conferreduponhimthehonorarydegreeofDoctorofLetters.Duringhistoursinthesecountries,whichearnedhiminternationalfame,hepopularizedtheChineseclassicaldramaamongforeignaudiences,guidingthemtoabetterappreciationofChineseartandculture.ThroughhisperformancesBeijingOperaobtainedworldrenownandinreturnexertedmuchinfluencetotheforeignstage.Hebecamegoodfriendswithmanyoftheworld'sfamousartists,dramatists,writers,vocalists,dancersandpainters.AmonghisinternationalfriendswereMaximGorky,KonstantinStanislavsky,Nemirovich-Denchenko,S.M.Eisenstein,GalinaUlanova,StarkYoung,CharlesChaplin,paulRobeson,DouglasFairbank,MaryPickford,BernardShaw,EdwardGordonCraig,BertoltBrecht,AmelitaGalli-Curci,RabindranathTagore,NandalalBose,TadashiAoki,KoshiroMatsumoto,BikoOnoe,MatsuoKunizoandEnnosukeIchikawa.
ThroughouthislifehemadeoutstandingcontributionsinpromotingculturalexchangesbetweenChinaandforeigncountries.TheperformingartoftheChinesetheatrerepresentedbyMeiLangfangisnowrecognizedasoneofthethreeworldcontemporarymainsystemsofperformingart.
AfterthefoundingofthePeople'sRepublicofChina,MeiLanfangwaselectedadeputytotheNationalPeople'sCongressandamemberoftheStandingCommitteeoftheNationalCommitteeofthePeople'sPoliticalConsultativeConference.Hewasalsoelectedavice-chairmanoftheAll-ChinaFederationofLiteraryandArtCirclesandoftheDramatists'Union.HebecamepresidentoftheInstituteofChineseOperaResearchandoftheCollegeofChineseOpera,aswellasDirectoroftheNationalBeijingOperaTheatre.Havingparticipatedenthusiasticallyinsocialworkandvariousactivities,hewasacceptedintotheChineseCommunistPartyin1959andmadesignificantcontributionstothesocialistconstructionofhismotherlandinhislateyears.
MeiLanfangisthesymbolofChina'sperformingartandtheprideofhispeopleandnation.
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