Tan Xinpei (1847-1917)

     Tan Xinpei谭鑫培 (1847-1917) was born Tan Jinfu, a native of Jiangxia (now Wuchang), Hubei.  In his earlier career, under the stage name Xiao Jiaotian, Tan specialized in both heroic and comic male military roles in Beijing (Peking) opera.  As he entered middle age, he began transitioning to the older, bearded male characters known as "lao sheng"  老生, then formed his own company to implement and popularize a new performing style he had developed for years, a style which combined singing, speaking, acting and fighting in each individual performer, rather having each of these skills performed by individual specialists.  This new approach, which became known as the "Tan School," soon became dominant in Beijing opera in the latter 19th century.  In 1905, he collaborated with photographer Ren Qingtai to record excerpts from some of the actor's classic roles on film, making Tan Xinpei the first actor in China's motion picture history.