The China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe’s (CDPPAT) world-famous show “My Dream” features at the heart of our “Thousands of Helping Hands” THH2017 charity art performance tour. The dedication of these visually, hearing, and physically impaired artists, who invite us to “take on all the challenges in life with hearts full of happiness and gratitude,” as they themselves pursue artistic perfection with disabilities, is deeply inspiring. In fact, their outlook echoes that of Tzu Chi volunteers who equally strive to overcome all obstacles on their path as they serve those in need and help relieve suffering.
The line-up of the CDPPAT’s show for our THH 2017 event includes musical or dance performances of exquisite beauty and profound meaning. The centerpiece of “My Dream” is the astonishing Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Dance that mesmerizes audiences around the globe. This dance, featuring 21 hearing impaired dancers who transform into a single heavenly being with what appears to be one thousand hands, reveals how with goodwill and cooperation, united by love, we can achieve any dream, and be of great benefit to others.
“My Dream” inspired everyone who attended our “Thousands of Helping Hands” charity concert at the Lincoln Center in New York in 2016!
Highlights of the “My Dream” Show:
My Dream
A prologue sign language performance by Jiang Xintian.
Every dance you see is the pulse of our hearts. Every piece of music you hear is the song flowing in our veins. Please join us and enjoy My Dream.
THOUSAND-HANDS GUANYIN
(Also known as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva)
The troupe’s signature dance, choreographed by the original lead dancer Tai Lihua (hearing impaired), is performed flawlessly by 21 perfectly synchronized hearing impaired dancers.
To See Spring
A dance by visually impaired performers, who while “seeing nothing but eternal darkness,” express and celebrate through movement their joy at being able to hear, touch, and feel Spring in their hearts.
The Happy Life in Farmland
A dance by Huang Yangguang (physically disabled) and hearing impaired dancers. Although Huang has no arms and hands with which to touch the audience, his heart, talent, and optimism are infinite and could embrace the world.
Yellow Earth
A dance performance honoring the yellow earth of the Loess Plateau in China, sometimes called the cradle of the Chinese nation. As the dancers move in unison and beat their drums, one can feel the pulse of the earth and their heartfelt hope merging.
The Soul of a Peacock
While music is the soul of dance, Wei Jingyang (hearing impaired) draws on a deeper well of inspiration to guide her movements to synchronize with an imagined universe of sound, and this she does with impeccable grace, helping us appreciate what she cannot.
At the Crossroads
As these visually and hearing impaired actors perform a Peking Opera, it’s hard to fathom how they are able to master the breath-taking Chinese martial arts stunts, each demanding superb precision in timing in addition to exceptional acrobatic skills.
Butterfly Lovers
This dance recounts the story of China’s Romeo and Juliet, but with a unique ending that does not dwell on tragedy: Although these young lovers cannot marry in this life, they reunite in heaven as two gorgeous butterflies.
Local Traditions and Customs
The visually impaired musicians assembled for this group instrumental performance discovered their deep love of music early in life, and they share it through the musical arrangements they orchestrated, representing different cultures and traditions.
The Code of Life
Zumulaiti is confined to a wheelchair, yet her voice soars without limits, lifting the spirit of each member of the audience. As hearing impaired dancers accompany her song, every performer cherishes the others, grateful for what they can accomplish together.