Community Forums

Wayne M · 10-25-2012, 09:22 PM

I received this email today:
Thought you would enjoy it.
=================

DANCE OF 1000 HANDS...

Read the paragraph below FIRST before you watch the video (& turn-on speakers for the music)

There is an awesome dance, called the Thousand-Hand Guanyin, which is making the rounds across the net.

Considering the tight coordination required, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazing, even if they were not all deaf.

Yes, you read correctly. All 21 of the dancers are complete deaf-mutes. Relying only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once intricate and stirring. Its first major international debut was in Athens at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Para-olympics.

But it had long been in the repertoire of the Chinese Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe and had traveled to more than 40 countries.
Its lead dancer is 29 year old Tai Lihua, who has a BA from the Hubei Fine Arts Institute.

The video was recorded in Beijing during the Spring Festival this year.

Thiên Th

G.G. · 10-27-2012, 08:04 PM

Thanks Wayne. That was amazing. I can't imagine how this is done with deaf dancers. Without the music for inspiration, I think it would be very hard not to mention staying with the beat and together as a group. I imagine their other senses compensate for their lack of hearing as I've heard that they "feel" the vibrations more than we do. I'm sure they're more in tune to the feel. Nevertheless, it was awe inspiring. I've seen many a hearing persons who dance like they can't hear. LOL

TLGPE · 10-28-2012, 06:30 PM

Agreed, the video is truly beautiful. If you notice, you'll see six conductor dressed in white. They orchestrate the movement of the dancers. It's all very powerful imagery. Thanks for sharing.

Tom

Wayne M · 10-28-2012, 09:46 PM

My OP indicated the "four" conductors. I never counted them.

Thanks.

G.G. · 10-29-2012, 07:08 AM

I also noticed the conductors as Wayne pointed them out. They are the tempo for the dancers. Without something to keep the tempo and beat, it could very well be a hot mess. We hearing people liken it to the music "getting in your bones", becoming part of you. After listening to music and hearing it over and over, you learn the nuances of the music and the mood the piece should convey. Most dancers are music counters, so within choreography, each count has a movement or a hold with no movement. You learn where your body should be on count 4 or 8, for example. These conductors are providing the equivalent in that the dancers can learn where their movement should be at each moment of the conductors' movements. This has to be an incredible amount of work.

99-Am.Star · 10-29-2012, 01:08 PM

SUPER for sure. Another fine post Wayne. Thank you.

HappyCCRVr · 11-07-2012, 11:05 AM

another one 'stayin' alive!"

Rita Hayworth Is Stayin' Alive - YouTube

G.G. · 11-07-2012, 01:19 PM

Happy..that was fantastic!! My tap teacher, who was 93 yrs old, died last night from cancer. She was still coming to tap class as of 2 weeks ago. I guess our group of 7, the "Mary-o-nettes" will cease to exist without her. She would have loved this video as so many of these entertainers were from her era. We'll miss you Miss Mary.