On Tour: 10 European Countries 出访欧洲十国
In 1956, I was tumbling in the happiness honey and won another first prize. I was selected to participate in the Chinese Art Troupe and visited Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, East Germany, West Germany, and the Soviet Union. China, when he was 20 years old.
In China, art visits have always been an important part of diplomatic expansion. But before that, most of the government took the lead, and the art troupe was only attached to the government delegation, which was the icing on the cake for state visits. But this time we did the opposite. The general order we received was to serve as an “advanced team” to pave the way for the government’s visit. The general political situation at that time was that the Chinese government was actively targeting the establishment of diplomatic relations with West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany) in order to break through the Western blockade. Germany’s attitude is still between half-push and half-stop, and the situation is subtle.
The task given by the central government is to add a fire and cook the duck. This practice of artists taking the lead and warming up for the establishment of diplomatic relations with the government in the near future is quite different from the previous practice of establishing diplomatic relations and paving the way for the government, and then the artist would give courtesy thanks. In other words, the art troupe is an independent fighting echelon in the overall situation, which at the time was a breakthrough in the conventional and innovative nature. We are faced with a situation where there is no diplomatic relationship and are not invited. The strategy is: always go around West Germany to let the influence of Chinese art deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and then ask French performance companies as intermediaries to enter in the form of commercial performances.
This was my lucky moment, because of this we had more space than the previous group. “Get in”, what do you rely on? The so-called “Let the influence of Chinese art deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, until other performance agencies can’t sit still and see that there is a big advantage in it, so they must come and invite.” To put it bluntly, it is to take the market economy route, relying on your product-art — can to win the right to speak. Therefore, this group pays special attention to art. In fact, we did finally break into West Germany by virtue of the power of art. We spent more than two months in West Germany. More than a dozen cities were filled with venues. Everyone was arguing about the level of Chinese art in the headlines on the Daily News. During the performance, the audience kept chanting “Bravo!” and even clapped their hands and stomped their feet, almost bringing down the house.
The curtain call was as many as eight times, and flowers were thrown up from the stage, countless flowers flying around on the head, the scene was extremely enthusiastic. This shows that our Eastern art can also be accepted by the West. On the other hand, I also saw the enthusiasm of the German audience, regardless of their seriousness and unsmiling at work, but a fanatical enthusiasm for art.
After the performance, a buffet was held to entertain celebrities in the German literature and art circles, diplomatic officials, as well as envoys, consulate staff and military representatives from various countries in Germany. There will be more than 300 people. Except for the invitation returned by the United States, almost all the other invitees came. At the dinner party, I first talked with a famous dancer, and then many other movie and drama stars also joined in. They unanimously stated that this was their first exposure to Chinese art. I was very surprised because of our way of expression. The familiar ones are completely different. But it’s very beautiful, superb and easy to understand.
The colors are bold, and I even noticed that the “hands” are particularly beautiful, using many words such as “soft” and “glamorous”. My favorite is “Lotus Dance”. Because of constant arguing, I have to come backstage after the show to see if we wear skates to decide whether we are going to win or lose. An evening newspaper wrote: “Listening to Chinese music, I forgot Schubert and Beethoven. You must know that Germany only began to know how to calculate its own age when China had such profound music!”
In addition to art, many other issues were also talked about. Europeans really don’t understand China too much, so they are very curious, ask questions, and are interested in everything, such as love, food, lifestyle, text reforms, etc. , The entire dinner party lasted for more than two hours. It was past midnight, and everyone was still unhappy. They said that they always thought China was very far away, but today they feel very close. “
What could be happier for an actor than to be loved by the audience! (Note: If you are interested and want to know more, you can read my anthology: “Running East and West-Travel Notes”)
This group’s special emphasis on art is also reflected in its strong strength. The personnel are deployed from all over the country, and the famous artists gather, invade and irritate them, and have a profound impact on my artistic growth. For example, Tong Zhiling. (Note) Tong Zhiling’s “The Drunken Concubine” is already well-known for a long time, but she still thinks about it from time to time, and she is not ashamed to ask even a small actor like me. She is usually sociable, but before the show, she never laughs and concentrates on it.
Because I have a foundation in opera, they sent me to run the trick for her and handed her wine with a fan in “The Drunken Concubine”. Unexpectedly, I would have a year-long friendship with Tong Zhiling, a famous artist. I know many stories behind the glorious aura of celebrities, the bitter lonely childhood, the inhuman academic career, how tortured and humiliated while growing up, and what it takes after becoming famous The courage to persevere and take responsibility, after all, when it comes to Peking Opera, the blood is boiled with no regrets. All this made me, a fledgling person with a relatively simple family and life experience, exposed to a whole new world, which has enlightenment meaning for me to understand art and life.
There were many friends: Peking opera artists Wang Zhengping, Wu Chou Zhang Youfu, and Yue Opera Hua Dan Li Ruiying, who are ranked nationally. Everyone stayed together all day to talk about art and talk. Life was a joy. The most incredible thing is that I don’t know if it’s because of the consonance, or because we have a special affection with Kunming, and I have forged a life-and-death relationship with the famous Wudan Guan Weiyu (Note), one of the best in the country.
Guan Qiyi has a righteous spirit in dealing with things, and has a chivalrous sentiment and bold spirit. She treats art meticulously. Everywhere she goes, she doesn’t care about life, where she lives, and rarely participates in those social activities that make her appearance. The first thing is to go straight to the theater, go to the stage, carry a cheongsam to practice exercises and walk on stage. I have been in the same industry for more than half a year without an exception; I have performed more than hundreds of times together, and I have never missed a performance of such a difficult performance, with an accuracy of %100. This kind of dedicated and dedicated professionalism and professional ethics still awe me when I think of it, and it has become a spiritual force in my subsequent art career.
At the end of the art troupe, Guan Yiwei returned to her Yunnan, and I returned to my Shanghai. She performed her Peking opera and I danced my dance. The vast crowd, a life in the dark, who would have thought that the last night of her life was actually Spent it with me, digging my heart out and talking to my heart. Although this is something later, but looking back on the past, I really feel that the world is unpredictable! Or there is indeed a word “fate” in the world. Fate has allowed me to make so many rare teachers and friends, who will guide me and guide me through the wind and rain, never give up, and become An indispensable spiritual force.
I entered the door of the performing arts, and it was entirely a matter of inconsistency. So before that, I lacked the full-hearted devotion like Zhang Jun, Wang Qin and others, (enjoy), dance art has not really entered my heart. This is an important reason why I haven’t been in a good state for a long time. And this time going abroad, due to the simultaneous effect of the two internal and external factors of stepping into the world stage and getting along with many top artists, I have made a leap in my understanding and gained a perceptual insight into the charm, value, and meaning of art. . Until then, I began to have a heartfelt love and devotion to the dance I was engaged in. When I was engaged in art, I would never really get started without the passion and sentiment from my heart. This change was not clear at the time, it was just bit by bit, but dripping through the rocks, it made me who came later.
The ancients said: “Reading thousands of books, traveling thousands of miles” should say “Go abroad and look at the world.” This is the biggest gain from this trip abroad. But “traveling thousands of miles” is not that simple. When I went abroad that year, I was both excited and curious. I had lunch at the first stop in Ulaanbaatar, and they were all my favorites such as milk yellow fried steak, so I let go of the feast, and boarded the plane again. I was experiencing strong convective weather when I was on Lake Baikal. I was in a small plane, and I was thrown like a bungee jumping. Next, I was like a pendulum. There were only two movements of vomiting and leaning back at night. When I arrived at Kurkeske, I vomited all the bitterness and almost lifted off the plane. Soviet friends set up a feast for us, but I seemed to be tossing about on a plane. That day, there was a fish dish specially prepared for a special friend.
It is said that the nutrition is very good, and the astronauts of the Soviet Union at that time ate it. When the pan of pink roe trembling came to me, with a wow, I started the second round of vomiting. I felt that my stomach was about to turn out, and the injection was stopped. When I heard When I was about to get on the plane, I was so bold and famous that I was so frightened that I refused to go up. The doctor could only give me airsick medicine, and fell asleep all the way to Moscow. What’s interesting is that from then on, I’ve been reborn, and I’ve been at ease with the tenth-level wind and waves on the sea.
This experience does not seem to be directly related to performance, but it is actually an indispensable lesson in the career of an actor. Once Liu Xiaolintong told me that now he has only two places in his life-on the stage and in the car. Ordinary people watch TV at home comfortably, only seeing the glamour of the actors, it is difficult to know their hardships.
1956年，翻滚在幸福蜜糖中的我，又中了一个头奖——被选拔参加中国艺术团，出访保加利亚、罗马尼亚、波兰、捷克、匈牙利、奥地利、瑞士、东德、西德、苏联十国，时年20岁。
在中国，艺术出访向来是外交拓展中的重要一环。但在此之前，大多是政府先行，艺术殿后，艺术团只是附属在政府代表团后面，为国事访问锦上添花。而我们这次却相反，接的将令是作为“先遣队”，为政府出访铺路。当时的政治大格局是中国政府正积极瞄准与西德（德意志联邦共和国）建交，以突破西方的围堵封锁。德方态度尚在半推半就之间，情势微妙。
中央给我们的任务就是去添一把火，把鸭子煮熟。这种艺术家打头阵，为不久的政府建交热身的做法，和以前政府先建好交，铺好路，艺术家再去做礼节性答谢的惯例大相径庭。也就是说，艺术团在全局中，是一个独立的战斗梯队，这在当时，是突破常规首创性的。我们面对的是没有外交关系未被邀请的局面，策略是：一直绕着西德演，让中国艺术的影响力深入人心，再请法国演出公司作中介，以商业演出的形式打进去。
这是我运气中的运气，因为这个特殊性，我们就比以往的团多了许多空间。“打进去”，靠什么？所谓“让中国艺术的影响力深入人心，直到人家演出中介坐不住，看到其中有大利，非要来邀请不可。”说白了就是走市场经济路线，靠的是你的商品——艺术——能卖钱夺得话语权。所以这个团对艺术就特别重视，事实上，我们最终确实就是凭借着艺术的力量，打入了西德，并在西德辗转了二个多月，十余个城市，场场爆满，掀起了天天报上头条，人人争说中国艺术的程度。演出过程中，观众不断高呼“布拉莫”，即“好”，“太好了”的意思，甚至拍手顿脚，简直把屋顶都要掀翻了。
出国剧照《采茶扑蝶》Performances Abroad: Picking Tea and Butterflies
谢幕最高达八次之多，还从台下抛花上来，无数的花朵在头上飞来飞去，场面热烈极了。这一方面说明我们东方的艺术，西方也能接受。另一方面更看到了德国观众的热情，别看他们工作时那么严肃，不苟言笑，对艺术却有一种狂热。
演出后，举行了冷餐会，招待德国文艺界的知名人士，外交官员，以及在德国的各国使节，领事馆工作人员和军事代表，到会有三百多人。除美国退回了请帖外，其他被邀请者差不多全来了。餐会上，我先是与一位著名的舞蹈家交谈，后来很多其他电影话剧明星等也参加进来，一致表示，这是他们第一次接触中国艺术，感到非常惊奇，因为我们的表现方式，和他们熟悉的完全不同。但非常美，既精湛，又明白易懂。
色彩大胆，甚至还注意到“手”特别美，用了许多“轻柔”，“迷人”等的字眼。最爱是《荷花舞》，常常因为争论不休，演完后要跑到后台来，看看我们究竟有没有穿溜冰鞋，以决输赢。一家晚报写道：“听中国的音乐演奏，把舒伯特、贝多芬都忘了，要知道，当中国有这些深刻的音乐的时候，德国才开始知道计算自己的年代里！”
除了艺术，也还谈到许多其他问题，欧洲人对中国真的是太不了解了，所以非常好奇，问东问西，对什么都有兴趣，比如爱情、饮食、生活习惯、文字改革等等，整个餐会进行了两个多小时，过午夜了，大家还兴犹未尽，都说一直觉得中国非常遥远，但今天又觉得非常亲近。” 一个演员还有什么比受观众爱戴更幸福的呢！（注：若有兴趣，想了解更多，可看我的文集：《东跑西颠——游记》）
这个团对艺术特别重视还表现在实力雄厚，人员由全国调配，名家云集，侵淫其中，耳熏目染，对我的艺术成长，产生了深远的影响。比如，童芷苓。（注）童芝苓的《贵妃醉酒》已然是久负盛名的了，但她仍时时琢磨，连对我这样的小演员也不耻下问。她平时善于交际，可演出前，却从不言笑，全神贯注。
由于我有戏曲基础，就派我为她跑龙套，在“贵妃醉酒”中拿扇递酒，没想到竟由此和童芷苓这位名家结下了忘年之交，甚至到了能与我分享平时不会与外人言说的体己私房话的程度，从而知道了许多在名人光鲜光环背后的故事，辛酸的孤苦童年，非人的学艺生涯，成长中怎样受尽折磨和屈辱，成名后又需要怎样的勇气坚持和担当，说来说去，落到京剧便热血沸腾，无怨无悔。这一切，使我这个初出茅庐，家庭和生活经历都比较简单的人，接触到了一个全新的世界，对我理解艺术，理解人生，具有启蒙意义。
Famous Peking opera performing artist and actress. (1922~1995)
（注：著名京剧表演艺术家，京剧女演员。（1922~1995）生于天津。其父酷爱京剧，从小受家庭熏陶，十一岁即能演出《女起解》。由于天赋条件好，勤学苦练，深受老前辈王瑶卿的器重、栽培。十五岁正式搭班演戏，十七岁就成为令人瞩目的舞台新秀。为了深造，一九三九年，在北京拜在荀慧生门下，得“荀派”艺术真传；一九四七年又在上海拜在梅兰芳门下，潜心钻研“梅派”艺术；同时，悉心自学“程（砚秋）派”名剧《锁麟囊》。她还广泛与话剧、电影演员交往，参与拍摄了多部电影。建国后逐渐形成了具有自己独特风格的舞台艺术。
童芷苓戏路极宽，有敢于创新、善于创新的开拓精神。她博采兼收，择善而从，不拘成规，表演细腻，善于刻画人物。她的嗓音甜润妩媚，唱腔声情并茂，她在唱法上，以“荀派”的爽朗俏丽为基调，适当揉和“梅派”的典雅华贵和“程派”的含蓄委婉，于豪放中有细腻，在柔媚中见端庄，令人感到清新别致，独具一格。她的念白功力深厚、情绪充沛、节奏鲜明、感人肺腑。她的表演不拘成规，善于将传统技巧的运用与人物性格的刻画相结合，塑造各种性格迥异的妇女形象。她多才多艺的非凡才华，一直为世人所称颂。）
这样的朋友，在艺术团远远不止一位，全国排得上名号的京剧黑头王正平，武丑张佑福，越剧花旦李瑞英等，也都正在艺术的上升期，大家成天在一起，谈艺术，谈人生，不亦乐乎。最最不可思议的是，也不知道是因为心性相投，还是因为都与昆明有特殊情愫，我与全国数一数二的名武旦关鶐鹴（注）竟由此而结下了生死之交。
关鶐鹴为人处事一身正气，有一股侠义之情，豪爽之气。她对待艺术一丝不苟，每到一处，不问生活，不看住地，更很少去参加那些出头露面的社交活动，第一件事就是直奔剧场，上舞台，拎起旗袍练功走台。同行半年有余，没有一次例外；同演数百余场，这样高难度的演出，没有一次失手，精准度达%100。这种执着专注的敬业精神、职业道德，至今想起来仍令我肃然起敬，并在我此后的艺术生涯中，成为一种精神力量。
艺术团结束，关鹔鹴回她的云南，我回我的上海，她演她的京剧，我跳我的舞蹈，茫茫人海，冥冥人生，谁能想到，她生命的最后一夜，竟是在与我一起掏心掏肝倾诉衷肠中度过的。这虽是后话，但回首往事，真觉世事难料！或者世间确有一个“缘”字，缘分让我结交了这么多不可多得的师友，在以后漫长的岁月里牵引着我，指导着我，经风雨，闯难关，永不言弃，成为一股不可或缺的精神力量。
Guan Sushuang (1928-March 6, 1992)
（注：关肃霜（1928年-1992年3月6日），满族，湖北荆州人，自幼受家庭艺术熏陶，能唱能演，能翻能打。在艺术上勇于革新，大胆率先演现代戏。为人侠义，据说刚出山时，一些人不怀好意，想占她的便宜，结果她一对四，打得那些流氓哭爹叫娘，抱头鼠窜，加上平时仗义执言，由此名噪一时，再没人敢在太岁头上动土）。
我进入表演艺术的大门，完全是阴错阳差，因缘际会。所以在此之前，缺少像张均、王勤她们那样发自内心的全身心投入，（enjoy），舞蹈艺术其实并没有真正进入我的心灵，这是我长期来未入佳境的重要原因。而这次出国，由于走进世界舞台这个大环境和与许多顶尖艺术家深入相处这两个内外因素的同时作用，促成了我认识上飞跃，从感性上对艺术的魅力、价值、意义有了领悟。直到这时，我对自己从事的舞蹈，才开始产生了一份由衷的热爱与投入，从事艺术，没有发自内心的激情和感悟，永远不可能真正入门。这个转变，当时并不清晰，只是点点滴滴，但滴水穿石，铸就后来的我。
古人云：“读万卷书，行万里路” 应该说“走出国门，放眼世界”。才是这次出国最大的收获。但“行万里路”也不是那么简单。那年出国，既兴奋又好奇，飞机上东跑西颠一点都不老实。第一站乌兰巴托吃午饭，又都是牛奶黄油炸牛排这些我的最爱，便放开大快朵颐，吃完重新登机，不料升空那一刻，五脏六腑就跳起舞来，在过贝加尔湖的时候正遇强对流天气，那时乘的是小飞机，被抛的就像现如今的蹦极一般，接下去，我就如一只钟摆，只剩下前吐后仰两个动作，晚上到库尔克斯克时，连苦水都吐光，几乎是抬下飞机的。苏联朋友为我们设了盛宴，可我就像还在飞机上翻腾。那天有一道专为特别尊贵的朋友准备的菜——马哈鱼子。
据说营养特别好，当时苏联的宇航员就吃这。当那一盆粉红色颤微微的鱼子端到我面前时，哇的一声，我又开始了第二轮的呕吐，只觉胃都要翻出来了，打了针才止住，当听说又要上飞机时，大胆出名的我，竟恐惧得不肯上去。医生只能给我吃晕机药，一路昏睡到莫斯科。有趣的是，从此以后，我就好像脱胎换骨一样，就是海上十级风浪也处之泰然了
这段经历看似和表演没有直接关系，但实际是演员生涯必不可或缺的一课，有一次六小麟童对我说，现在他的生活只有两个地方——台上，车上。普通人安适的在家看电视，只看到演员的光鲜，很难知道他们的艰辛。