Preface
She was born in an ordinary family in Shanghai in the early 60s, and showed extraordinary dancing talent since she was a child.
She is not only the pale but three-dimensional and plump Yang Guifei in the movie "Yang Guifei", but also the woman who dedicates her life to art in reality.
In 2021, she asked her friend Liu Xiaoqing to pay a lot of money to bring her back to China from the United States, and she died just three days later.
So, why did she return to China?
Helpless chasers
In 1961, Zhou Jie was born in an ordinary family in Shanghai.
Since the age of 3, she has shown strong imitation ability and dancing talent, and she is self-taught, able to completely restore the dance on TV.
She was fascinated by the free stretching of her limbs, like a bird spreading its wings.
However, the political environment of that era was not relaxed, and her family background was difficult to pass the selection within the system.
She was turned away, but she was not discouraged.
When she was 12 years old, the Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe opened up for admission, and she seized the opportunity to participate in the interview.
Despite the lack of systematic training, she conquered all the examiners with her natural body language.
However, the last checkpoint, the political trial, still stopped her from the gate.
She pleaded repeatedly, and the examiner finally relented and made an exception to admit her.
From then on, she devoted herself to the dance career with great enthusiasm, studied hard, and soon became the main character.
At that moment, she understood that dancing was the only love of her life.
Young Endeavors
During her time in the song and dance troupe, Zhou Jie showed unusual diligence and studiousness.
During one performance, she suffered a broken rib due to an accidental movement, and the pain was excruciating, and most people would choose to withdraw from the performance.
But she didn't, she gritted her teeth and finished the whole performance, which surprised the audience unexpectedly.
The applause from the audience was thunderous, and she became famous because of this, and was known as the leader of contemporary dance.
In the 80s of the 20th century, Zhou Jie joined the Shanghai TV Troupe and accidentally broke into the film and television industry.
Her first work, "Listening to Politics with a Curtain", brought her popularity and attention.
Later, she participated in the filming of many big-budget film and television dramas, and she realized that her enthusiasm for theater performance was not inferior to dance.
She did her best to perform every role and constantly challenged herself.
During the filming of "Yang Guifei", in order to conform to history, she gained 20 pounds in just a few weeks.
This is even more valuable for a dancer who is afraid of aging and occupational diseases.
As a popular star, she does not forget her original intention and still regards dance as her life.
Communicator of devotion
After becoming famous, Zhou Jie did not enjoy her old age, but actively participated in public welfare undertakings.
The construction of the Fengpu Bridge in Shanghai was underfunded, and she supported the construction of the bridge at her own expense of hundreds of thousands of yuan.
The Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe and TV station have also received donations from her many times.
In her spare time, she also founded a dance education institution to nurture the younger generation of dance talents.
In order to promote traditional Chinese culture, she went to the United States for development.
Unexpectedly, it was very fruitful and warmly welcomed by the locals.
So she settled in the United States for a long time and opened branches in Silicon Valley and other places.
Let the Chinese red in the heart of this oriental woman extend to the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Today, her dance works have become a symbol of Chinese culture in the hearts of generations of Americans.
Helpless returnees
In 2015, Zhou Jie was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.
Even the top hospitals in the United States cannot cure this stubborn disease.
Five years later, she gradually felt that her time was running out, so she made a final request to her friend Liu Xiaoqing to spend a lot of money to bring her back to China.
At that time, when the new crown epidemic was raging, Liu Xiaoqing spent $270,000 to charter a charter flight regardless of the difficulties.
On a cold winter day in 2021, Zhou Jie in a wheelchair stepped on her homeland in China with the support of her family.
At this moment, a quiet and peaceful smile appeared on her face that she had not seen for a long time.
Finally, in the last moments of his life, the dancer was able to embrace his beloved homeland.
Just 3 days later, she passed away gently at the age of 59 in the water town of Jiangnan.
epilogue
She has spent her life interpreting what it means to have no regrets.
She replied with her soul that she still had to return to China in order to complete her last dance life.