Wang Fang, a Suzhou native, has given her heart and soul to Kunqu Opera. Wang, who has twice won the Plum Performance Award-China's top award for theater and opera performances—started to learn the traditional art form from a young age.
Born with a sweet voice, Wang loved to sing and dance and was selected by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe when she was in middle school. However, her parents refused the troupe's invitation, insisting that she should concentrate on her studies. After members of the troupe visited the parents repeatedly, Wang's parents finally agreed.
Learning the traditional art form was never easy. She started to learn how to pronounce words, sing them lyrically and make gestures gently. At first, she had to spend extra time practicing kung fu move-ments. Years later, Wang used the word "unimaginable" to describe how hard the days were when she first learned Kunqu. She was soaked（浸泡）in sweat when practicing movements in summer, while in win-ter she often had chilblains（冻疮）on her hands. "But I was determined at the time. No matter how diffi-cult, I always got up early the next morning to practice, " Wang recalls.
Wang says she did not love Kunqu at first, but in her early 20s, when she watched the show Peony Pavilion performed by Zhang Jiqing, a master of the art form, it clicked. "I was shocked, " Wang says. "Her every movement was full of elegance. Each of her lines and songs was perfect. I was struck by the beauty of Kunqu for the first time, and it has stayed with me since. "
"I always believe that ‘Not everything is meant to be, but everything is worth a try. ' First you must be a dreamer, then a doer, and only then can you be a master. I believe in this order —that it should be this way and that I am this way. " Wang once said in an interview. Now, Wang has become a master of Kunqu. Her performances have impressed generations of audiences and helped to promote the art form a-mong young people.
