Lantern Festival Gala, the names of the two disabled people dancing, and their information

Dance "Holding Hands"

Performers:

Female: Ma Li..Male: Zhai Xiaowei

The following are their deeds, For more information about them, you can search for their names on Baidu.

On the evening of April 20, 2007, the finals of the 4th CCTV Dance Competition were underway. The tenth contestants were Ma Li and Zhai Xiaowei. Their dance was called "Hands".

Ma Li: I like the stage, I hope I feel like being on the stage.

Ma Li: I don’t know how big this stage is. Just imagine that there is such a stage.

This has been Ma Li’s dream since childhood. Ma Li was born in Zhumadian City, Henan Province in 1977. She was the youngest in her family. Although her mother did not know much about literature and art, she doted on her daughter very much. When Ma Li was 7 years old, her mother sent her to the Children's Palace.

Ma Li: Sometimes, I don’t have as many opportunities to play like other children. In my impression, I am always very nervous but always fulfilled. After school every day. Then after school, I eat, finish my homework, and then go to the Children's Palace to study.

Among many art trainings such as painting, calligraphy, and dance, Xiao Mali’s favorite is dance. In 1981, when Xiao Mali was 11 years old, she could skillfully perform the folk dance "Yangliu Qingqing". That year, in Puyang, another city in Henan Province, Zhai Xiaowei, a little boy who was just four years old, faced the biggest blow in his life.

Zhai Xiaowei: Wandering alone on the street. While walking around, I saw a tractor pulling lime. At the beginning, there were a few people getting on the tractor. Although I was relatively young, I felt like giving it a try. Then go up. After going up, he fell from the top. That leg went in. The whole leg was flattened. When I fell, I lost all feeling in my legs. I didn’t know legs existed. I just feel like I have a headache.

Seven days later, the doctor told Zhai Xiaowei's father that if he wanted to save his son's life, amputation would be necessary. For a child who was only four years old at the time, Xiaowei had no idea what amputation meant.

Zhai Xiaowei: He asked me, kid, do you know the concept of amputating a leg? I said I don't know. He said that if I amputate my leg, my life will be very difficult in the future. There are many setbacks and difficulties. He said are you afraid? At that time, I just didn’t understand or understand this setback and difficulty. I just said it as if it was a joke, I said dad, are setbacks and difficulties delicious? My dad, too, told me jokingly. He told me with a smile and tears that it was delicious. But you can’t eat it in one bite, you have to eat it one by one. When my dad finished saying this, he went out crying.

Compared with Zhai Xiaowei, Ma Li had a fulfilling and happy childhood. After graduating from junior high school, her mother sent her to Zhumadian Art School to major in dance. With talent and hard work, Ma Li did not disappoint her mother all the way. In 1995, 18-year-old Ma Li entered the Qingdao Art Troupe with excellent professional results.

Ma Li: Very happy. At that time, it was because I loved music very much. In rehearsals and in life, it’s all about jumping up and down. It used to be like a small tape recorder. Then plug in your headphones and dance while listening. Very happy.

Everything is so natural, and a bright future seems to be unfolding in front of this young girl. However, all the dreams I had when I was a teenager were curbed one afternoon on August 31, 1996. That year was the second year after Ma Li joined the Qingdao Art Troupe. She was just 19 years old.

Ma Li: I took a friend’s car and went to the suburbs. I was very fast when overtaking. He was grinding the steering wheel so hard that the car started flying and could not be stopped. It just turned sideways. I happened to be sitting in the passenger seat. The arm was thrown out at that time. The moment the car brakes and the arm is taken out, it has inertia. The car is always like this when driving, it has inertia. The friction on my right forearm is quite severe.

Ma Li was sent to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment, holding tightly to her arm that had lost all feeling due to excessive blood loss. After the operation, the doctor connected Ma Li's right arm with a plaster. However, in the next seven days, Ma Li's right arm became seriously infected and she continued to have a high fever. The doctor had to perform a second operation.

Ma Li: After the anesthesia wears off, I need to go to the toilet.

The moment I lifted the quilt, I suddenly felt empty. The cuffs are empty, and then they are wrapped and wrapped in gauze. It was very uncomfortable at the time. Because I used to study dance, and suddenly there was nothing left. What was so dizzying was that I cried in front of the ward. Cry loudly. Anyway, I don’t care about anything. At that moment, the whole person collapsed. Just rolling on the bed and throwing away everything from the quilt. Then when I saw my mother like that, I felt very uncomfortable.

For the next few days, Ma Li has been living in an extremely contradictory mood. At one moment, she would look forward to stepping onto the stage with her own arms again, and at another moment, she would despair of her empty sleeves.

Ma Li: I didn’t want to live at that time. Nothing is gone because it is. All dreams are gone, all broken. What I thought at that time was that I just didn’t want to live anymore.

A month later, Ma Li had to leave the art troupe, leaving her beloved stage and her dream of dancing. Ma Li found that she couldn't face herself like this at all. Her life had been completely changed, and she couldn't even do the simplest self-care.

Ma Li: I used to have long hair. Then I cut my mid-length hair. My mother has to comb my hair every day. Comb your hair every day, including some grooming. Because I was just hospitalized, I can’t do anything with my left hand. That's how it often is. Then I always get discouraged and get angry with my mother. Then when I saw my mother like that, I felt very sad.

Facing the future life, Ma Li suddenly became very confused. He didn’t know what to do next. But when he saw his white-haired mother working for her all day long, Ma Li realized that I can't do this anymore. She must live bravely. After that, she began to learn from daily life, then painting and writing.

Ma Li: I just thought about how to survive. I sold clothes at that time. I sold fruit to help friends. Did all kinds of work. Even though a piece of clothing may not make much money for me, I can earn 20 yuan a day for myself, and I am very happy. Because every day when I carry clothes to sell, I am very tired. In order to save a dollar, I will not take the bus. Because it felt very difficult to earn money at that time.

When Ma Li was running for a living, Zhai Xiaowei was already 13 years old. Perhaps because of his young age, Zhai Xiaowei did not feel the pain after being disabled. He did not even understand what missing a leg meant to his future. He is still mischievous and climbs trees to go to the house every day.

Zhai Xiaowei: He walks around on the street with a crutch. Laughing and laughing all day long. He enjoys everything all day long. He felt that I didn't hear him, but actually I did. He said that when I heard it, I didn’t feel anything at all. After all, the accident happened 4 years earlier, so I have no idea. Just don't take it seriously.

Faced with other people’s jokes, Zhai Xiaowei didn’t care. Because he was different from Ma Li, he could no longer remember the feeling of walking on his legs as a child, as if he was born this way. But as he grows older, the optimistic and cheerful Zhai Xiaowei gradually understands that he must learn to move forward alone in the future.

Zhai Xiaowei: If I encounter any troubles, I will find a place where no one is around, and I will feel very discouraged while holding my stump. When I get discouraged, I think of my joke question. Frustration and difficulties are good or bad. I think of my dad’s tears again, and my dad’s joking answers. Delicious, eat one by one.

In this way, the two people lived silently in their respective cities. Although occasionally Ma Li would get discouraged and think of giving up, she finally persisted. Not only could she take care of her daily life, she also developed good calligraphy and opened a bookstore in Zhumadian. In 2001, Ma Li's case was reported by the local newspaper, which attracted the attention of the Zhumadian City Disabled Persons' Federation of Henan Province and reported it to the Henan Province Disabled Persons' Federation. On the eve of the 5th Disabled Persons' Art Performance, staff from the Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation found Ma Li.

Ma Li: I was very surprised at the time. Can I really return to the stage? But I thought about it and was worried. Because I am very unfamiliar with the concept of disability and how to present it on stage. When I called, I seemed to reject the first call. But I am happy and feel that I am not qualified for this. I just refused.

In order to do the work for Ma Li, Director Li Baofu of the Henan Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation called Ma Li three or four times to do the work and invited her to the rehearsal venue of the Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation. .

Ma Li: I saw different people, including blind people and people with physical disabilities.

When I saw them playing the erhu, the music, the melody, and the singers showing themselves, I saw them so involved and so attentive in singing their own voices and acting out their own stories. I was shocked by this feeling at that time. I agreed then. Although I tried a few moves, maybe from a balance point of view, they are not very good. But I still agreed. I feel like I can give it a try. They gave me the strength and I felt like I should give it a try.

A month later, Ma Li participated in the National Art Performance for Disabled Persons held every four years, and "Daughter of the Yellow River" led by Ma Li won the gold medal. This gold medal made many groups start to look for her to perform, so Ma Li moved her family to Beijing. Zhai Xiaowei also started looking for a job after graduating from junior high school. During the trials of life, he realized for the first time that being a disabled person would encounter so many obstacles.

Zhai Xiaowei: Finding a job is extremely difficult. It was when I was looking for a job and I went to many, many places. When I went to Zhengzhou, they almost all refused. You can't.

Zhai Xiaowei was not discouraged. Later, he found his first job in an Internet cafe in Weihai. In 2005, Zhai Xiaowei returned to Henan and became a disabled athlete, focusing on cycling. In that year, Ma Li's entry "Holding Hands" once again won the gold medal at the Sixth National Art Performance for Disabled Persons. But none of them expected that on September 26, 2005, their hands would be held together.

Ma Li: We met in a rehabilitation center. The moment we passed each other, I walked over. I saw a boy, but subconsciously, it was because he was missing his left leg. After I walked over, I came back. I just feel like this boy's figure is pretty good in every aspect.

Zhai Xiaowei: She patted me. Ask me first what my name is. What are you doing here? I said I'm an athlete here. She said that was good. She said do you like dancing? Then I said, I can’t dance. Do you like it or not? Although I like it, I can't dance. She said as long as you like it.

Ma Li: I’ll give you two tickets. You need to find out first. After you read it, you will have a new change.

Zhai Xiaowei: When I was watching her perform, Sister Ma Li walked onto the stage and saw her perform. It's as if a chill spreads from the heart to the whole body. The kind of chills. Then I felt my hair stand on end. It just blew my mind.

Zhai Xiaowei must choose between his beloved cycling and dance that makes him tremble.

Zhai Xiaowei: Guess that coin, a one-yuan coin, guess anyway. Just continue playing sports or go dancing. I just popped it out and checked to see if it was right. Right, and then buckle it. I said it was right, and went to dance with Sister Ma Li. It looks right at first glance. Put it down again, first see if it's the other way around, and then if it's the other way around, let's go dance with Sister Ma Li. Just want to go.

At the end of 2005, Zhai Xiaowei began to learn dance from Ma Li. But Zhai Xiaowei had never learned to dance, so Ma Li started to train Zhai Xiaowei from scratch. In order to achieve perfection, Ma Li was strict and almost cruel to Zhai Xiaowei, often forcing him to train. But as time went by, Zhai Xiaowei began to be lazy when faced with the same boring actions every day.

Zhai Xiaowei: I got up very late that day. Especially when practicing Qigong, I feel like being lazy. If I want to take a day off, I just practice lazily. Sister Ma Li said don't sit on the ground. Why don't you sit on the ground? She said you sit on the ground. Just sit on the ground after you finish practicing. Don’t sit down. Just kicked me. I stood up. Why did you kick me? She hit me again. At that time she kicked me and hit me again.

Ma Li: After the fight, I felt very regretful. Because I have a stronger personality, and I require a higher level of perfection in this action. At that time, I asked for it on a professional level.

After this incident, Zhai Xiaowei had doubts about himself, whether he was qualified to dance, and whether he had the confidence and perseverance to practice dance well. In order to test himself, Zhai Xiaowei came up with a way. He had to walk back to his home in Changping from the West Railway Station, a distance of 50 kilometers.

Zhai Xiaowei: I will send them a message. I said that if I couldn't get home before 8 o'clock tomorrow, I might not go back. What was her reason? It’s because I don’t have the patience and perseverance. Sister Ma Li said that she just responded, "Okay."

In fact, I can feel that they are quite sad. In fact, in the eyes of others, this matter is quite childish. But I don't see it that way. I just take it as a test for myself.

Ma Li: First of all, I thought about worrying. I'm afraid something will happen again. And it's night.

Zhai Xiaowei: When we walked to the peony garden, I was very, very thirsty. When I was so thirsty that I couldn't help it, I knew I had no money. Inadvertently, my hand touched my pocket and my ID card. Then pledge your ID card to someone else. Put my ID here. Can I get a bottle of water? They said, after looking at it, I told them to give you a bottle of water. No need to keep your ID card. I said if it’s okay, just leave it here. Then the man said okay okay here. I just drink. After drinking the water, we walked back.

Ma Li, who was waiting at home, kept in touch with Zhai Xiaowei through text messages.

Ma Li: Just send him a message and tell him what I did wrong, or maybe it was a bit too much. You can tell me that we need to communicate more and communicate more. This will work. What did another intuition remind me of? Xiaowei, do you really not have this kind of perseverance? I was still thinking about this. On the other hand, I think about it. After I consider it from his perspective, I will think about him again. I say that since you have made a choice, you must stick to it. No matter how difficult it is, you have to keep going.

Zhai Xiaowei: Then I thought that I must go on. Be sure to leave before that time. Go back. By then it was tantamount to exhaustion. Just using two crutches and dragging my legs. It's like two hands exerting force. Dragging, without any strength at all, my legs moved forward. The moment I walked to the door of my house, I felt a little comfort in my heart. I walked home. I don’t know what time it is now. Then I looked at the time, 6:30. Push the door open.

Ma Li: Although I didn’t sleep all night and was very sleepy, I felt that look in my eyes gave me a feeling of confidence. He has already given me an answer.

From then on, the two of them began to rehearse the dance "Holding Hands" selflessly. They don't have a formal rehearsal venue, so they practice at home in the winter and in the park in the summer. However, Zhai Xiaowei's physical coordination is not good, and sometimes he cannot keep up with the rhythm of the music. This group of movements is the most beautiful and the most difficult in the dance "Holding Hands". In order to achieve perfection, they themselves did not know how many falls they had.

Zhai Xiaowei: Just fall again and again. Sometimes I can't hold it well with my hands, or my hands are sweaty and I can't hold it well, so I throw Sister Ma Li to the ground. Although she fell to the ground, it was supposed to hurt her, but I felt that the moment I threw her to the ground, it was my heartache, because she is my sister after all, and I did not do this well. . I didn't do a good job and I threw my sister. Extremely uncomfortable. The two of us just kept practicing. We practiced that one movement for a whole day. We practiced from 8 o'clock in the morning to 8 o'clock in the evening. Finally, we practiced until after 8 o'clock and were the first to do it beautifully.

It was with such dedication and hard work that we saw them perform perfectly with imperfections at the dance competition on April 20, 2007, and felt their spiritual hand-holding and mutual affection. Help. As they left the stage, the entire audience gave them a standing ovation. In the end, the dance "Holding Hands" performed by Ma Li and Zhai Xiaowei won the Silver Award in the Mass Creative Dance Category.

Zhai Xiaowei: The two of us hugged each other tightly. It just felt like I was moved by the dance I danced. It also seems to be a kind of catharsis. Tears flowed out like a fountain.

Ma Li: I couldn’t help but shed tears at that moment. I really feel that we have paid too much before.

Zhai Xiaowei: From the time we held hands off the stage to our resting place, from works 1 to 9, they all stood up and applauded us.

Ma Li: It feels like I feel the spiritual communication between people, the power of love.

Ma Li: "Hand in Hand" is about playing ourselves. Although we are incomplete.

Zhai Xiaowei: I didn’t feel that it was my limbs that jumped. I feel like two hearts are colliding with the music. Two perfect souls vibrating on the stage.

Ma Li: In this process, we are actually surpassing ourselves. It is for the dream in our hearts that we surpass ourselves again and again.