Peking Opera is considered a symbol of China's cultural tradition. The centuries-old stage art is seeing a crop of promising new stars. Jia Jinsong is one of them. Working as a teacher and a performer, he inherited the time-honored art and adapted it to fit his style.

Peking Opera performer Jia Jinsong

Different from most performers, Jia Jinsong divides his time between the stage and classroom. Since graduating from the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, he worked there as a teacher. And for the bright young man, those hours spent instructing students advanced his career as a performer.

Jia Jinsong said, "Currently I am performing as well as teaching. They complement each other. The experiences I gain onstage can be applied to teaching. On the other hand, my inspirations from teaching can be tried on the stage. It's mutually beneficial."

Teaching allows the young artist ample time to reflect on his beloved Peking Opera, from singing to choreography. The dedicated studies deepened his understanding of and his passion for the centuries-old stage tradition. Also, studying provides him a pair of discriminating eyes.

Jia said, "In the traditional repertoire there're certain elements that are artistically unsound. We should revise or do away with them. But the essence of singing and performing should be faithfully respected. We must follow it strictly because it's the very essence."

Peking Opera performer Jia Jinsong

(cctv.com April 1, 2010)