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Deaf dancers find fame
 Source: Mediascrape
Twenty one people need to coordinate perfectly to pull this dance off. But these dancers can't hear a thing. Deaf performers at the China Special Art Troupe have to rely on their conductors to "hear" the rhythm. They communicate by breathing on the back of their fellow troupe members' necks then flick an arm or twirl a hand one by one in time to the music. And they need to feel music through speaker vibrations to memorise the beats by heart. (SOUNDBITE) 16-year-old dancer, Wei Yujie, saying (Mute with sign language): "The biggest challenge for us is that we can't hear the music. We need to practice a lot and learn how to coordinate. We have to use our hands and feel the music's beats to learn." Since forming 20 years ago, the troupe has performed in more than 40 countries. Organisers say they have raised more than half a million dollars for disabled people's charities. Lead dancer Tai Lihua has become a star. But now, the troupe has a bigger ambition. (SOUNDBITE) 32-year-old dancer, Tai Lihua, saying (Mute with sign language): "We really want to perform on the Beijing Paralympics' stage. To have this stage in Beijing, in China, to show the Chinese disabled dancing is a true honor." With little difficulty booking gigs for both commercial and charity events, the group also has no problem finding recruits among China's 90 million people with disabilities. Tai Lihua is the first Chinese national to become a household name through her art. The Special art Troupe is now getting phones almost every single day from eager parents with disabled children, desperate to get into international spotlight. In Beijing, I'm Kitty Bu, reporting for Reuters.
Rating: (0 ratings) Views: 299 Added: Feb 20, 2008
Category: News
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