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In 2005, the Spring Festival Gala ushered in a special dance performance - Thousand-armed Guanyin.
The lead dancer, Tai Lihua, stood in the center, with a uniform dance team behind her, their movements like flowing water, as if they really had a thousand hands and eyes.
At the end of the dance, the audience was thunderous with applause, and the audience in front of the TV was also shocked. What's even more touching is that this perfect performance was done by a group of deaf and mute actors who are both 21 years old.
Because of this performance, this special group of dancers was completely popular, especially the lead dancer Tai Lihua not only became a household name dance star, but also attracted the attention of a rich Malaysian.
The other party launched an 8-year hard pursuit. How is this radiant dancer doing now?
Misfortune befell childhood
Tai Lihua was born in an ordinary family in Yichang, Hubei Province in 1976. She is the jewel of the family, and her parents can be said to have placed infinite hopes on her.
However, when she was two years old, a sudden high fever changed her life.
To reduce her fever, doctors injected her with a number of medications, including streptomycin. This is it, taking away Tai Lihua's hearing.
After learning the news, Tai Lihua's mother sat on the ground, tears flowed uncontrollably, she couldn't accept this fact, her daughter was still so young, she would never hear the voice of the world again.
Tai Lihua's childhood was far more difficult than that of other children, she couldn't play happily like other children, and could only watch with her eyes open in a silent world.
The people around her cast pity on her, and even some neighbors began to point fingers at her, saying that she was pitiful, and she couldn't hear those voices of kindness or sympathy, but she could see the pity in her eyes.
Whenever they see the neighbors' comments about their daughter, Tai Lihua's parents are heartbroken, but they can only reluctantly accept this cruel reality.
The shock of the first contact with dance
In order for Tai Lihua to learn some skills, her parents decided to send her to a local school for the deaf. She began to learn to express herself in sign language, and although she still couldn't grow up like a normal child, she was much better.
What really changed her fate was a rhythm class when she was 7 years old.
On that day, the teacher struck the floor with a drumstick in the classroom to let the children feel the rhythm of the vibrations. For the first time, Tai Lihua felt every cell in her body beating with the vibration, she stood up, closed her eyes, and her body involuntarily swayed to the rhythm.
The teacher noticed this particular girl, whose movements were graceful and rhythmic, as if she were born to dance.
The teacher walked up to Tai Lihua and asked her in sign language, "Would you like to learn dance?" Tai Lihua looked at the teacher and nodded, with a hint of expectation in her eyes.
That was the first time she felt the resonance of her heart, as if she had found a bridge to communicate with the outside world in a silent world. The teacher began to arrange dance training for Tai Lihua, and she came to the dance studio early every day to practice basic dance moves in front of the mirror.
Although she couldn't hear the music, she gradually mastered the sense of rhythm and the coordination of her body through the vibrations of the floor and the gestures of her teacher.
Admission to the Disabled Art Troupe
Dancing is not an easy task. The precision of every movement, the beauty of every pose, requires a long period of practice.
Tai Lihua was often injured in practice, but she never complained, and after falling again and again, she always stood up strong and continued to practice. Tai Lihua's efforts have gradually paid off.
At the age of 15, the China Disabled Persons Art Troupe was selecting outstanding disabled dancers across the country, and Tai Lihua was lucky to be selected.
During her training with the art troupe, Tai Lihua met more dancers like her, and it was there that she truly realized the gap between herself and others.
When she first joined the troupe, she could almost be said to be the worst one, but she was not frustrated, but turned her frustration into motivation, and worked ten times or even a hundred times more than others, and finally became the lead dancer of the art troupe in one fell swoop.
Bloom and chase on the stage
She and her companions were given the opportunity to appear on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, and Tai Lihua is well aware of the significance of this performance, which is not only a recognition of their achievements and efforts, but also an opportunity for the national audience to see such a special group.
In order to achieve a 100% perfect performance, she and her companions practiced day and night. Because they can't hear, their practice is several times more difficult than others, but no one has ever said bitter during the long training process.
In 2005, the stage lights of the Spring Festival Gala gradually dimmed, and the audience's eyes focused on the center.
When the music sounded, the uniform movements of the 21 deaf and dumb dancers surged like waves, and it was Tai Lihua who stood in the center to lead the dance.
She was dressed in a golden dance dress, and her hands bloomed in the air like a thousand-armed Guanyin. Although she couldn't hear the music, the smooth and elegant dancing was like a natural sound, tugging at the heartstrings of every audience.
At this moment, the director in the background was staring at the monitor closely, and sweat was oozing from his forehead. Despite countless rehearsals, the pressure of live streaming was still enormous.
However, when he saw Tai Lihua and the other dancers' flawless performances, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Great, great!" He knew that tonight's performance would shake up the whole of China.
After the performance, the audience erupted in thunderous applause. Tai Lihua stood in the center of the stage, with a smile on her face, but her heart was surging with great joy. She knew that this was not only a successful show, but also the best reward for her years of hard work.
With the overnight success of "Guanyin with a Thousand Hands", Tai Lihua's name quickly spread all over the country. Major media outlets have reported her story, calling her a "silent dancer" and praising the beauty of her art through body language.
Unexpected suitors
Once when she was performing in Malaysia, the son of a local tycoon unexpectedly fell in love with her and frequently confessed to her.
But she left a message, "I love my homeland and I want to go back." ”
For her, material satisfaction is far less attractive than spiritual abundance.
However, the son of the rich man was also very persevering, insisted on confessing to her constantly, and did not give up after being rejected. Because, it was Tai Lihua like this who made him even more fascinated.
She is not just a dancer, but an independent, confident woman. Although he felt a little frustrated by being rejected, he admired her even more in his heart.
He frequently flew from Malaysia to Beijing, managed to find out Tai Lihua's residence through friends, and sent various exquisite gifts. But every time, Tai Lihua politely refused.
However, he became more and more courageous, and in the following years, he still sent gifts from time to time, and even sent sincere wishes on Tai Lihua's birthday every year.
Once, the son of a rich man finally met Tai Lihua.
He stepped forward excitedly and said to her in sign language, "Miss Tai, I don't care about your disability, I just want to be with you." ”
Tai Lihua looked at this sincere man and sincerely said that she was very moved by his persistence, but her life is already very fulfilling now, and she can't accept him because she is moved.
Tai Lihua knows very well what she wants, so she is very decisive in her handling of it.
In the end, the rich man gave up this obsession, and Tai Lihua's life finally returned to peace.
Focus on charity and public welfare
Since the "Thousand Hands Guanyin Dance" became popular all over the country, she and her dance troupe have received a lot of attention, and invitations to various performances have been relented.
She began her life touring the country and the world, but at the same time, she was also working on another career.
She took out the money she had saved from her performance and invested in the "My Dream" Harmony Fund, focusing on charity. She said that she wants to help more people within her ability, which is also one of her goals.
In 2013, under the leadership and support of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and the promotion of Tai Lihua, the Affiliated School of the China Disabled Persons' Art Troupe was established.
This is a school specially set up for special students, where children can get the most professional and systematic training and receive comprehensive and high-quality education, which makes it possible to cultivate compound talents for the cause of the disabled.
For children with disabilities, one of the biggest questions in the future is how to survive independently in society. Although joining the company can help them find their purpose and direction in life, it is not a long-term plan after all.
She knows very well that most of the children will still leave the company in the future, and once they do, where will they go, and how will they survive when they can only dance?
How can they stand out in an increasingly competitive society? She felt some of the shortcomings of the existing special schools, and she wanted to do something for these children.
This is also an important reason for the establishment of this affiliated school.
In 2022, at the Winter Olympics, she lit the flame of the "Summer Olympics" as a flame collector. She said that in the future, she hopes that she can continue to cultivate more talents and ignite the fire of more special children's dreams.
Today, Tai Lihua still shines in the world of dance, unmoved by the hustle and bustle of the outside world, and continues to contribute her own strength to the artistic cause of the disabled.
Her life story is not only a legend in the dance world, but also a role model for countless dreamers. No matter how life changes, she always writes her own chapter with tenacity and perseverance.
epilogue
16 years ago, Tai Lihua amazed the whole country with a song "Guanyin with a Thousand Hands" on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala and became the goddess of dance in the hearts of countless people. In the face of the hard pursuit of the rich, she is unmoved, because she has perseverance and goals in her heart.
Tai Lihua's choice proves a truth: the value of life does not lie in external fame and wealth, but in the adherence to one's own beliefs. She told us with her actions that only by being loyal to the love of our hearts can we walk out of a glorious path of our own.
Resources:
""Struggling Chinese" "Thousand Hands Guanyin" Tai Lihua: The best dance is always related to life" - Central Broadcasting Network