Performances given in Japan recently by the Chinese Disabled
Person's Art Troupe have been a great success. After each show
Japanese audiences expressed their enthusiasm by writing glowing
tributes in Chinese characters to the performers.
October 1 saw the visit to Japan of the Chinese Disabled Person's
Art Troupe to coincide and celebrate the 30th anniversary of
peaceful Sino-Japanese relations, the International Disabled
Peoples' World Assembly and the summary year for an Asia-Pacific
Regional Decade of Disabled People that opened in Sapporo. The
performance by the disabled group conveyed feelings of friendship
and love to the Japanese people as well as promoting Chinese
culture through art and tradition. The audiences were deeply moved
by these performances.
Anticipation for the visit by the Chinese Disabled Person's Art
Troupe created great enthusiasm for the performances with tickets
selling out in Nagoya and Tokyo two-weeks ahead of time. The show
included some very special acts. First on stage was the dance of
Dunhuang's Bodhisattva with 1,000 hands, performed by 12
deaf and hard of hearing girls that attracted sustained applause
throughout the performance. The Wings of Life, a
prize-winning dance at the World Dance Contest in Japan, received
15 ovations during the six-minute performance as well as six
curtain calls that lasted 20 minutes. Afterwards, the audience
expressed their delight and enthusiasm through the written word.
Moriyama Yumiko, a young Japanese girl, wrote: "Your performances
were stirring. In them I saw the dignity of your lives." A blind
audience responded with affection to the performance of physically
disabled dancer, Huang Yangguang, and said, "Although we can't see
you, we can feel the heart-felt communication between us."
The Chinese Disabled Person's Art Troupe performed at the
International Disabled Peoples' World Assembly and for the
Asia-Pacific Regional Decade of Disabled People summary year that
took place on October 15.
In
a telephone interview from Japan, Vice-president of the Chinese
Disabled Person's Federation Liu Xiaocheng said:
"The performance art of the Chinese Disabled Troupe deeply moved
the Japanese audiences. The effect of these special performances,
that comprise life and art, is seen by the applause received, no
matter in what country, and shows its extraordinary charm and
influence and capacity to remove the borders between countries and
bring people together in a spirit of great happiness and
purpose."
One 42-year-old Japanese man expressed his feeling by writing: "I
just can't help my tears."
Liu Xiaocheng said that the performances at the Nagara
International Conference Center of Gife by the Chinese Disabled
Person's Art Troupe were very warmly received with a local
disability organization making cars available to collect the
audiences. While many Japanese women were dressed for the festival
in traditional welcoming Kimonos, the atmosphere was lively with
disability volunteers not wishing to miss the performances instead
watching from the aisles.
These performances promoted great friendship and standards of
excellence between Chinese and Japanese people. A member of the
audience, Ms Tekkaman expressed this feeling and wrote:
"Wings of Life was excellent. You showed great vitality.
This told us that as long as one can work hard, despite the body's
condition, life can be great. After watching your performances, I
think I really felt more love for China."
The Japanese audiences expressed a wish to see more of the art
troupe. A 42-year-old mother from Nagaro, and her three children
who came to the performance at Gifu each wrote:
"I'm very happy to see this." (Seven-year-old)
"You're so great!" (Eleven-year-old)
"Thanks." (Fourteen-year-old)
"I
can't believe that you're all disabled. It is not possible to
over-praise these excellent performances. I do hope that you can
continue to stay in good health." (Mother)
(china.org.cn by Chen Lin, October 21, 2002)