Strength & Perseverance

In 1996 a promising 19 years old professional ballerina Ma Li lost her right arm in a car accident. Her life would never be the same, her boy friend couldn’t handle what was going on and he walked away from her. She tried to kill herself only to be saved by her parents. Then Ma Li found the strength to live.

Ma Li had to learn how to do everything: how to write, comb her hair, cook, and wash clothes… She had to learn how to be an independent person again.
Five years after the accident, with the passion is her heart Ma Li returned to the theaters. Ma Li found her soul mate Tao and the two of them worked in the performance arts. Then in 2004 SARS outbreak happened in China and as a result all the theaters were closed. The young couple was completely broke and they were trying to develop a unique performance for Ma Li. Then in a cold snowy night, when the two huddled in an underpass waiting for the sunrise and Ma Li suddenly had the urge to dance in the snow with Tao. She had used her dance to tell him her story so many times before, but this time, after their “dance” ended, Tao suddenly realized that THIS should be her unique performance.

In September 2005, Ma Li meet 21-year-old national Special Olympics cyclist Zhai Xiaowei. When Zhai was 4 years old he fell off a tractor and lost his left leg. His father at the time asked little Zhai, “”The doctor will have to amputate your leg. Are you afraid?” Zhai couldn’t comprehend what would be so different so he said “N0”. His father said, “You are going to face many challenges and difficulties in life, are you afraid?” Zhai asked, “What are ‘challenges and difficulties?’ Do they taste good?” His dad laughed with tears, “Yes, they’re like your favorite candies. You just need to eat them one piece at a time!” (Then his dad ran out of the room in tears.) Zhai has always been very optimistic and athletic with a great sense of humor. When Ma Li first told Zhai about her plan for him to dance, Zhai initially didn’t understand how he could “dance,” being that he had never dance before, but later he decided to give it a try.

Ma Li, Tao and Zhai did intensive training and practice for over one year, day in day out from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Most of us cannot even imagine the kind of challenges and difficulties they faced. So much determination has gone into the making of this performance. Zhai dropped her more than thousands of times!!!

Ma Li and Zhai Xiaowei was the first time a handicapped couple ever entered the CCTV national dance competition and they won the hearts of millions.

With Strength and perseverance we can do anything!

Story by Giovanna Garcia

"Imperfect Action is better than No Action"