I’m stretched to the limit learning a painful lesson the hard way at arts school

Iwas born to a family in Lanzhou city, capital of Gansu province, that loves Qinqiang Opera. My father played xusheng (a role for a middle-aged male that requires a beard) in the Yongdeng county art troupe.

To ensure I received the best education for Qinqiang Opera, my parents sent me to the Shaanxi Provincial Arts School in Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province, in 2010, when I was 16.

I was somewhat nervous when I arrived in the city. The people looked a lot different to those in Gansu. In addition, I found it hard to understand the local dialect, and the first few classes I attended at the school were a real challenge.

Students new to Qinqiang Opera were required to stretch their muscles to better master basic skills such as kicking their legs and performing somersaults.

However, my leg muscles felt quite tight, and when I stretched them, it was so painful that tears welled in my eyes.

We had a lot of time in class, starting at 7 am and finishing at 9 pm, so I basically spent the entire day in the training room.

Although the work was hard, we also had some fun. Every week, there was a class where the teachers told us how to put on makeup. This was usually my happiest time at the school.

In 2015, I had the opportunity to join the Yisu Art Troupe to continue learning qingyi (graceful female Qinqiang Opera roles).

Having seen many well-known exponents of the art form since I joined the troupe, I realize there are many techniques and much experience I need to learn, and also just how important it is for us to practice the basic skills every day.

I hope I can learn more from the troupe, and make my performances really come alive.