In an interview with the opening special issue of Southern People's Weekly "New Youth Facing the Wind", the top dancer who has been an artist for 50 years shared her artistic ideas and expressed her expectations for young people.
Text/Ke Yuyuan
Editor/Yang Jingru
"Five mining and writing, called the phoenix emperor, first Wen Yuede, wing Wen Yueyi, back Wen Yue, false Wen Yue, abdominal Wen Yue. It is a bird, eating naturally, singing and dancing, and seeing the world at peace. " According to Shan Hai Jing, the phoenix has colorful feathers, and the patterns on its head, wings, back, chest and abdomen correspond to the words "virtue", "righteousness", "benevolence" and "faithfulness" respectively. And the phoenix can sing and dance, carefree and comfortable.
We have never seen a phoenix full of magical colors. However, in the oriental myth system, peacocks are born with the peace consciousness of the phoenix. People also project the imagination of the phoenix on the peacock, giving it auspicious and elegant meaning.
On the stage, "Peacock" plays with water, combs its hair, spreads its wings and opens its screen, as if falling into the mortal world. Peacock danced and all eyes were attracted. In melody and dance, dancers and peacocks, life and nature, and gods and gods are integrated with each other-this is the amazing shocking effect produced by the famous dancer Yang li Ping's Spirit of the Sparrow.
This classic Dai dance, created in the 1980s, is a famous work and the starting point of her legendary experience of phoenix nirvana. At that time, thousands of people in China remembered this rising star in the history of Ran Ran dance art through TV screens, and witnessed her graceful step by step from a small town in Yunnan to the world stage.
"Just like fish get water."
1976, 18 years old met 20-year-old Gao at Yunnan Dance Show. When we first met, Gao told her about the British movie star. The goddess appeared in Gone with the Wind, Broken Bridge and A Streetcar Named Desire, and won two Oscars.
Tell meaningfully that we should find ways to open up a broader space. At that time, Yang li Ping played the role of "Peacock Princess" in the Dai epic dance drama Zhao Shu Tun and Nan Mu Nanuo. Her talent and beauty are famous in Yunnan, but they are limited to this. She needs a bigger stage.
Later, Gao became a famous choreographer in China and became friends with him.
Yang li Ping, dressed in pure black and wearing a big braid, is very easy to identify. This uniqueness seems to be innate. Yang li Ping, who grew up in the countryside and fields, likes to observe how water flows, how clouds float, how butterflies break cocoons, how ants line up, how dragonflies drink water, and how caterpillars twist their waists ... She has a unique understanding of nature and life and conveys this feeling through dancing.
She looked for traces of dance in everything. What impressed her most was the peacock. She once saw a large group of male peacocks gathered at the edge of the lotus pond and under the bodhi tree: when they slowly opened their tails, Yang li Ping witnessed a dazzling beauty.
▲ Publicity photo of the dance drama Peacock
Peacock is the motif of Yang li Ping's life creation, and her young peacock dance dances more and more brilliantly. After four years of acquaintance with Gao, he received an olive branch from a higher level-he was transferred to Beijing by the Central National Song and Dance Troupe.
At that time, the song and dance troupe was keen on training high-intensity and routine ballet. This made Yang li Ping feel uncomfortable. She often waits until everyone is scattered at night, and then goes to the practice room to train in her own way. It is this hard experience of practicing hard all night that made her solo dance "The Spirit of Sparrows" written and performed by herself.
1986 "the spirit of the sparrow" won the first prize in the performance and choreography of the national dance competition, and entered the stage of the Spring Festival Evening two years later. Yang li Ping became a household name "Peacock Princess". "Every time I go to the side curtain, I feel that I am standing on the edge of a ridge. When the music started, I jumped on the stage, just like a fish gets water. " Yang li Ping said that she enjoyed every time she went on stage. Whenever she heard the curtain call and the audience applauded, she felt that "the sound of running water is so beautiful".
From solo dance to group dance
After becoming famous, Yang li Ping did not rest on his laurels, but constantly tried to change the dance form. He has participated in the arrangement of large-scale song and dance works such as Yunnan Image, Voice of Yunnan, House of Flying Daggers and Spring Festival. From solo dance to group dance, more young dancers feel the joy of "the sound of water".
Since 2000, Yang li Ping has entered a number of ethnic minority villages in Yunnan, selected out-and-out young villagers, and set up Yunnan Image Song and Dance Troupe. Yang li Ping hopes to show the world the aesthetics, wisdom and philosophy of the East. According to incomplete statistics, Yunnan Image has toured more than 7000 games at home and abroad.
Affected by the epidemic, Yunnan Image Song and Dance Troupe was dissolved. In his self-report of 50 years as an artist, Yang li Ping cried several times when he talked about it. Li Yugang Fa Weibo, a young artist who has known her for many years, said, "The first time I saw her strong, she shed tears. She is very helpless and reluctant, but I firmly believe that whether there is a stage or not, she is already a pure and ultimate symbol. Her spirit and soul can dance forever! "
▲ "Yunnan Image" photo
For Yang li Ping, there is no dance without a stage. In her eyes, dancing is a way of life. She calls herself a "bystander of life" and likes to observe and turn her observation into dance. As a dancer, she has always been modest. "The whole world and the universe are made up of dust particles, and the ocean is made up of a drop of water. We are all a drop of water in the sea, and we are very small. "
Fight with the spirit of the tiger
Every year, Yang li Ping makes a dance plan for himself.
During the Spring Festival of 20021,Yang li Ping created the video dance "Spring Cow Picture" of the zodiac. This year, she also released the dance art film "Roar in the Tiger" of the Zodiac series. In an exclusive interview with Southern People Weekly, Yang li Ping said: "The tiger images in the tiger roar map are very rich, including handsome tigers, idol tigers, rock tigers, tigresses, little tigers and so on; There are many story lines, such as friendship line and love line. The drama is also very strong. Tigers are dancing friends, riding motorcycles and skateboarding, which is very lively. "
In Yang li Ping's view, this video work is more popular and easier to understand than ballet. If the audience looks carefully enough, it is not difficult to find traditional cultural symbols, such as proverbs and nursery rhymes. For her, this is a new art form. She wants to find a possibility without a stage: "With the help of high-tech network means to spread, I think this is a' new species', and I hope it can bring you new experiences and new thinking." She said sincerely.
▲ "Tiger Roar Map" poster
The film incorporates martial arts, folk music, skiing, parkour, fashion clothes, special effects makeup and other elements, and has a strong sense of national tide, showing a strong sense of beauty and vitality. According to Yang li Ping, a dance art film with the theme of "Rabbit" is being prepared. In her vision, in addition to the zodiac in turn, the Zodiac series dances will also have classic images such as peacock, moonlight and unicorn in her previous dance works, which will be re-interpreted.
Let the dance spirit continue.
In recent years, Yang li Ping has not only devoted itself to promoting national culture, but also spared no effort to train young dancers. In this regard, she explained: "Different works need to match different types of dancers. The birth of new works is also a process of discussion and creation with young dancers. "
In Yang li Ping's view, it is a good choice to tap the rising stars through the Internet platform. "They often lack the stage to display their talents." She keeps pace with the times and reserves successor strength for China's dance career through online selection. The actor "calf" in "Spring Cattle" was found on the short video platform, and some small actors in "Tiger Roar" were also found through short videos. She once asked about the basic situation of a female college dancer in the message area of the short video platform. I also appeal to the majority of netizens, "Welcome everyone to send a dance video in the comment area @ me."
▲ "Spring Cattle Map" photo
For young people who just entered the profession after graduating from professional dance colleges, top dancers gave their own suggestions: First, they should know themselves clearly, be passionate, wise and conscious; Second, love dance, don't regard it as a job, let alone as a tool for survival or fame; Finally, don't jump blindly and vigorously. "You should have emotional and spiritual sustenance and turn your understanding of life into body language."
In recent years, influenced by many epidemics, many dance studies have become online. Based on this, Yang li Ping thinks that online testing of dancers' learning ability and absorption ability is far less direct than offline testing. "The dancer's endurance is still very strong. Even if there is no performance, don't be gloomy. " Yang li Ping paused and added, "The whole world is facing this problem."
After 50 years as an artist, Yang li Ping was often surrounded by flowers and experienced difficulties. However, at the age of 18, she remained optimistic-"What's so difficult about life? Think of difficulties as an exercise. When encountering new difficulties, we will continue to break through and keep moving forward. " Perhaps it is the positive attitude at this moment that makes her anxious. Looking at his friends around him, Yang li Ping also felt that they were not anxious.
"People without wisdom are anxious." She speaks frankly. But when asked how to get wisdom, Yang li Ping said, "It's hard to teach." For some young people who are prone to anxiety, especially those who have just entered the university and are slightly confused, Yang li Ping's answer is short but reasonable: "Study hard."
(Reference: the course of beauty-Yang li Ping's self-report in fifty years; Yang li Ping: Peacock goes down the mountain; Yang li Ping: Dancing is not "Ready-Go!" 》)
From stage experience to attitude towards prosperity and adversity, Yang li Ping will tell young people as an "experienced person". The above contents are all from the opening season e-magazine "The Wind" launched by Southern People Weekly and Southern Weekend.
In this must-read guide for college entrance examination, there are more high-quality contents worthy of freshmen's attention: from big coffee sharing to peers' voices, from hard-core dry goods to warm-hearted blessings, from "reading thousands of books" to "walking on the road of Wan Li" ... I will show you a panoramic view of college life in advance and get a glimpse of your future college style.