Tuesday, April 14, 2009

THE BODHISATTVA’S DANCE

Once again, my friend Sydney has sent me something really extraordinary. I keep telling her she ought to start her own blog – she’s traveled the world for years, visited so many places and cultures, done and seen amazing things. In the meantime, I pass along all the blog-worthy items she discovers. This time it's a YouTube link and the following explanation:

All 21 of the dancers are 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. Their first major international debut was in Athens last year at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Paralympics. 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. The 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.

The entire dance is almost six minutes long, but even if you can only watch a bit of it, it's almost easy to forget it's a performance, and imagine you're watching divinity!



As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart
A thousand hands will naturally come to your aid
As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart
You will reach out with a thousand hands to help others

Guan Yin is the bodhisattva of compassion, revered by Buddhists as the Goddess of Mercy. Her name is short for Guan Shi Yin. Guan means to observe, watch, or monitor; Shi means the world; Yin means sounds, specifically sounds of those who suffer. Thus, Guan Yin is a compassionate being who watches for, and responds to, the people in the world who cry out for help.



Video from YT member Nick0817

14 comments:

magiceye said...

that was so interesting and awesome

Kat Mortensen said...

Beautiful! Talk about "doin' choreography"!!!
I know what you mean by the sense of the divine.

Kat

Great Grandma Lin said...

I'm a former modern dance teacher and was simply amazed by this piece and they are handicapped WOW!

bobbie said...

this is so very beautiful! Thank you.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Truly awesome, Deb.... They are so talented --considering they can't 'hear' the music. I have a niece that is deaf--and she says that she can hear the beat--in music.

Thanks for this post.
Hugs,
Betsy

Sylvia K said...

That is beyond awesome! I've never seen anything like it and I'm awestruck! Thank you so much for sharing it and for your beautiful words!

Anonymous said...

truly, definitely, incredibly...AWESOME.

wispy willow said...

This left me breathless! I never cease to be amazed at the beauty of creative art in all forms... and at the boundless courage and strength of the human spirit.

Unknown said...

This was amazing. Such a blessing. I am glad I stopped over today. I saw a lovely comment you left somewhere and I had to see who would be saying such kind words. Kindness wins me every time! It is the most magical of all things!

Rose said...

Hi,
I watched this this morn and was simply speechless....it is unreal almost.

Cloudia said...

Thank you for teaching me things I didn't know about my dear friend Avaloktishara, Kuan Yin, Mary...
Aloha, Sistah!

SandyCarlson said...

Your blog is always a source of insight, inspiration, and enrichment. Beautiful video. I am in awe of what they accomlished. The movement was so fluid.

Indrani said...

Mesmerizing!
And to think all 21 are deaf and mute, WOW!

Avid Reader said...

Oh, I loved this, watched it a few times while I had coffee... it gets very intense, and I can't imagine how many times it was rehearsed before it became muscle memory! I love watching dancing like this, anything that flows. I once went to see a native north American dance troup and they were so amazing--mesmerizing in fact. Some people thought some of the dances were too slow, or too `whatever' but each one sent a valuable message, and I actually felt the slow ones were a kind of beautiful open meditation, and an opportunity for the audience to participate in a meditation. You come out of something like that totally refreshed and want to go back see it again...