Denise/傅蝶(Fu Die)
Denise Fu, a 28 year old girl who came to New York from Beijing 7 years ago, works as an environmental engineer. But during some weekends, she takes the stage of a traditional chinese art form: Peking Opera.
When she was young, Denise wasn’t familiar with this classic chinese art form. But in the winter of 2014, introduced by one of her friend, Denise’s friend invited her to watch a practice and get to know the members of the youth troupe of New York Chinese Opera Society, a non-profit organization which serves chinese opera fans in New York City and hosts various activities such as performances, seminars, and workshops related to chinese operas, in which Peking Opera plays the main role.
Given by her previous experience acting in early ages, Denise’s interest quickly grew on Peking Opera, originated in her hometown, and Denise found that she shared interests with other members from the group. She joined the youth troupe in the summer of 2015 and presented her first performance in September 2016, the success of which gave her more confidence and determination to keep exploring the art form.
As a typical Beijing girl, Denise has many devoted interests, besides Peking Opera. She co-founded an online platform recommending live house music performances in New York and also invites bands to organize parties. The platform is called “Inchant”, which was launched on Wechat (the most popular social media in China), Facebook and Instagram and has in total attracted over 30,000 followers.
Denise (middle) is practicing with other performers at the backstage of the auditorium, preparing for a performance held later that day, in Flushing Town Hall, Oct 22, 2016. This is her second Peking Opera performance and she arrived 3 hours early before the performance starts.
After put on the makeup, Denise is waiting in the dressing room for the performance to start. She is not very familiar with the process so her teacher, Wang Hong, always helps with her, as most of the professional Peking Opera performers get the makeup done by themselves.
A staff member is helping Denise put up a head scarf, which is used to set the hair stable during the show preventing it goes off, before a performance in Flushing Town Hall, Oct 22, 2016.
An audience in the crowd is watching the scene when Denise’s role, a servant of the main character, is poisoned and about to die, during a performance in Flushing Town Hall, Oct 22, 2016. Most of the audiences from that day are elderly Chinese who lives and works in New York now but still have great passion on this traditional Chinese art form.
Denise is on the phone when preparing a theme halloween party of BoJack Horseman, a popular Netflix original cartoon, at an art gallery near chinatown Manhattan, Oct 29, 2016. The party is organized by her co-found platform, “Inchant” and attracts nearly 100 people that night.
Denise is sticking up printed quotes from BoJack Horseman, a popular Netflix original cartoon, preparing a related theme halloween party at an art gallery near chinatown Manhattan, Oct 29, 2016.
At the dressing room in Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University, Denise is put on makeup before a performance celebrating the 10th year anniversary of foundation of New York Chinese Opera Society, Nov 05, 2016. Three professional performers from one of the most prestigious Peking Opera group in China are also invited to play in this performance.
Denise is waiting for her turn at the backstage of an auditorium at Pace University during a performance celebrating the 10th year anniversary of foundation of New York Chinese Opera Society, Nov 05, 2016.
Denise (middle) plays as the servant of Gao Ya Nei, who is the main antagonist of the play which is adapted from a classic Chinese story called “The Wild Boar Forest”, in a performance at Pace University, Nov 05, 2016.
Denise gestures as her character is waiting for the master to show up on the stage, during a performance at Pace University, Nov 05, 2016.
Denise learns to perform as the clown character in Peking Opera, which always requires exaggerated acting gestures and funny outlook. This portrait is taken at the backstage during a performance in which her role is the servant of one main antagonist from the story adapted from a classic Chinese fiction.
Besides Peking Opera, Denise is into many other interests in her spare time out of work. Recently, after taught by a friend, she decides to enhance her skating skill. This portrait is taken at Bryant Park, New York at Dec 07, 2016.
