BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- "Every disabled
person can realize his/her dream," is a
testimony from the "Never-ending Dance" performed at
the Paralympics opening ceremony, said Li Wenqian, a sign language
director Monday.
The episode presented by one amputee and 109
deaf dancers at the ceremony stunned the audiences with its high
artistic quality, but more, with its understanding of the meaning of life.
"They are not disabled; instead, they are only unable
or inconvenient. Although the girl lost a leg, but we can help her to fulfill
her ballet dream by some other means," said Li, from China Disabled
People's Performing Art Troupe, where all the deaf dancers come from.
"With the deaf dancers mimicking the move of girl's
lower limbs with their hands, they completed the girl's dream of
performing on the stage. We embodied this meaning in the dance," said Li,
who stood last Saturday in the center of the stage to lead the dancers with
gestures.
To keep the dancers rhythmic and synchronized was the
most difficult part of the dance, according to Li.
To achieve it, the sign language directors first
interpreted the music to the deaf children, then explained to them the beats and
rhyme, and finally turned the volume of the speakers to the maximum and had the
children touch the speakers to feel the music.
The amputee girl Li Yue lost her left leg in the
killing Sichuan Earthquake. But she survived over 70 hours under the
rubbles simply by dreaming of becoming a balletina in face
of death.
Li also said all the sign languages
directors cherish deep affection for the deaf children. As to the role of
the four sign language teachers in the group dance, Li said they just added the
"finishing touches" by hinting the children when the move was about to change.
"But our gesture language, which carries a sense of
beauty and could be regarded as a dance and a special form of art, also serves
as an approach to express ourselves," said Li.