Andy Lau Touched By Disabled Dancers

3 November 2007

Andy Lau (劉德華) arrived in Beijing on 01 November to start rehearsals and preparations for the Beijing leg of his China tour.

As an ambassador for the 2008 Paralympic Games, Andy has arranged for a special performance at his Beijing concerts, featuring a dance routine by disabled dancers Zhai Xiaowei (翟孝偉) and Ma Li (馬麗).

Zhai and Ma lost their limbs in road accidents when they were four and nineteen years old respectively, with Zhai losing a leg and Ma losing an arm. Their performances in the 2007 CCTV Dance Contest stunned the audience and won them high acclaim as well as the top prize for their skilful performances, truly overcoming any disadvantages arising from their disability.

Andy was extremely moved by their story and in admiration of their determination, so he was keen to invite them to take part in his concert, where they will be dancing to his song "Me and My Dream That I Seek" <我和我追逐的夢>.

Rehearsing in the freezing stadium, Andy was well wrapped up in his jacket, scarf and hat and as he sung, white puffs of icy breath could be seen. He said that he was worried because it seemed even colder than when he was in Harbin. However, he was taken aback when Ma and Zhai appeared in their thin dance costumes and he kept asking them if they were cold and were they alright. The dancers both replied that they were fine and that they were used to the cold.

Andy spoke later of his total admiration for the plucky dancers. "Seeing them makes me unafraid of the cold any more. They dance extremely well and working with them is an honour. I hope that it is not only me who supports them, but also the whole world who can support them to continue dancing and bring light to their lives. Through this, I hope that more disabled people find encouragement and do not give up. There are many different paths in life and as long as you work hard and try, then you can life a more colourful life."

Andy said that when he read about their backgrounds on the internet, Zhai's conversation with his father was especially memorable: "Zhai lost his leg in an accident when he was only four years old and his father told him that after the amputation, he would be faced with many difficulties and setbacks. The four year old did not understand and smilingly asked his father if difficulties and setbacks tasted good. His father replied: 'Yes, they taste good, but you have to eat each one at a time.' As a result, he insisted on eating up each of his problems until the present day." Andy revealed that the moral of this story was a very meaningful one and he has learned that "savouring" each difficulty and "tasting" each setback is a deep philosophy on life.


Reporter: Emma Lam

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