Most people know Tai Lihua from the famous dance The Thousand-Handed Goddess of Mercy, in which she was the lead dancer. The dance was first performed in public at the closing ceremony of the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.

All the 21 dancers in the dance were deaf and mute. As they cannot hear the music, these dancers can only perform through reading the hand signs of the dance instructors standing at the corners of the stage. The dance was a great hit after it aired on the 2005 Spring Festival gala of CCTV, China's national television station.

Tai, now president of the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe, talked about her personal experience and the development of the art troupe in a special interview with China.org.cn on May 23.

Before taking up a management position in 2004, when she was 28, Tai had been a top dancer. She led dances in many performances, the most famous of which include The Thousand-Handed Goddess of Mercy, The Spirit of the Peacock, and My Dream.

"Since its establishment in 1987, the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe has visited more than 100 countries and regions around the world and given more than 2,000 performances, winning acclaim from the audience," said Tai.

The dancers have astonished audiences both at home and abroad with their fabulous performances and elegant beauty. "Our achievements have won worldwide recognition, but we never stop moving forward," Tai said.

Tai revealed the growing pains and hardships of deaf dancers, saying that the efforts made by them are far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Born in November 1976 in Yichang city, Hubei province, Tai began to lose her hearing at the age of two after an overdose of streptomycin to treat a high fever. But this heavy blow had never destroyed her love of dance. At the age of 15, she was selected by the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe as a dancer and began to receive professional dance training.

When asked about the secret of success, Tai said: "There is no secret. Many people think it is very difficult for deaf-mute people to study dance. In fact, habit makes things natural. For us, the only way to dance well is to remember every movement again and again as practice makes perfect. I hope people watch our performance with appreciation of beauty instead of sympathy."

Presently, Tai doesn't appear on stage very often. As the head of the art troupe, she helps other disabled people to realize their dance dreams. In her own words, "Opportunities should be given to more young people."

She attends to almost all the administrative work of the troupe, such as rehearsals and performance schedules, as well as dancers' educational plans and basic necessities.

Tai is always frank and optimistic. She called for Chinese artists to devote themselves in artist creation and to make their voices heard by the world with excellent artist works.

As a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Tai has, in the past years, put forward many proposals for the disabled people's interests, such as providing special education and nursing subsidies for disabled children.

"I hope my efforts can help this group of people gain a sense of happiness. In the new era, the society should pay more attention to the disable people in education, employment, and integration with the society without barriers," Tai said.

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