In 1995, I was born in a well-educated family in Hengshui, Hebei Province. Although a high fever in my first year had deprived me of the hearing ability, I was never told to be different with the others.

Before starting the schooling, my mother annotated everything at home with stickers and bought a great deal of pictures for me to recognize objects, as well as to learn their pronunciations by reading lips, interpreting gestures and understanding words.

At the age of six I entered the regular primary school just as many other kids. In the very first class when teacher roll-called my name, I had no response at all until the classmate beside me pulled me up. After school I asked my mom: “Why I am so different with the other people?”, and mom told me that I had defect in hearing. I stared at my ears in the mirror, checking if there was any nuance that made me alone in the world – indeed, at that time I thought I was the only one who could not use the ears to feel. That was the first time in my life, I felt isolated and alone.

Time reeled to the year I was nine. Our school opened up the dancing course that attracted me so much, but mom tactfully advised me to have a deep consideration since I couldn’t hear the music that must go with dancing. My dad was a teacher, who paid high attention to my knowledge acquirement and interests developing, so he sent me to learn the calligraphy with my grandfather every weekend, and mom registered a painting class for me as well.

Great changes took place in 2005, when the Avalokitesvara Bodhisativa first appeared on the stage of Spring Festival Gala Evening. Seeing the radiance glowing from the stage gave me an inspiration that – yes, deaf people could have a chance to dance. At my tenth birthday, mother asked me if there was anything I liked, and my answer was dancing, always the dancing. But only this time, mom permitted me to do so. That was the very turn that ignited my dreams, since then, I entered the dancing class for polishing skills. Though training process was not at all easy, it made me a more confident person to become who I really am.

At 2007, I graduated from the primary school that rendered me much love and care from teachers and schoolmates. My teachers exchanged my seat to the front roll in case I couldn’t read the lips clearly. What was more, they tried their best to write the contents on the blackboard for me to follow. With the great efforts and considerate care of both sides, I kept obtaining remarkable grades and was awarded as the “Triple-A” student in school.

It was the same year that I went up for the China Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe’s entrance assessment. After three months of training and examination, I realized my dream to be a member of it.

That was just a start of fancy dreams. Eight years in the CDPPAT, I have experienced much more that I never expect for.

What I never expect is, CDPPAT is a genuine warm family that unites us together. Teachers are the parents that accompany us in everyday life, and my partners are the siblings that support me unconditionally. Alike as we are, people here are bound to be together as if the fate steers the divergent us onto a connected road.

What I never expect is, hearing-impaired people have their own beautiful language to communicate – the Dactylology, which even enables me to have a direct interaction with the foreigners.

What I never expect is, there are many visually defective friends who live a life even tougher than us. Therefore we always scramble to assist them when going out, trying to be a helping hand to support as much as we can.

What I never expect is, the Art Troupe provides us not only with fundamental training sessions, but also diversified dancing courses like Latin, Modern Dance, Ballet taught by renowned artists. It was my ballet teacher that advised me to target on it for my perfectly matched figure, and her encouragement sowed a dreaming seed at the bottom of my heart – one day, I want to be a princess that shines bright on the stage. In the rigorous training, the tip of my toes and wave of my skirts, I have savored bitterness and sweetness step by step. Fortunately, hard work would finally pay off: the ballet Swan lead by me appeared on the stage of the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China Celebration.

Later in the subsequent training, I did not only master the classical dance alone, but also led the dance of My Dream and Life Code in sign language.

What I also never expect is, in such young age I have already traveled many countries including the US, Japan, Russia, Kuwait, Hungary, Australia and so on. Moreover, grand stages like Beijing Paralympic Games, Taipei Deaflympics, Shanghai Expo and Guangzhou Asian Para Games have marked the splendid moments we had, and broadened our horizon to a new high level.

Our Troupe is a cradle for art and a study land that offers students with abundant knowledge. Staff sacrifices their working room for us to study Chinese and English class, Moral education and Physiology lessons with hearing aids to understand. To further improve the conditions for us, staff members have bought the learning equipment and subscribed newspaper to expand our knowledge scale.

I remember the life-changing programme Avalokitesvara Bodhisativa that evoked my hope and significant inspiration, but I have never imagined that the leading dancer, Ms. Tai Lihua would contact the school for us personally. Every morning at dawn, more than 30 of us took bus to the Dongcheng District with happiness and contentment pounding in the chest. In school I ranked at the top and was awarded as the “Excellent Student”. Later I applied to join the Communist Youth League, officially became a glorious League member.

Life in the Troupe is as brilliant as in heaven. We go for a picnic when spring comes, go to the movies when blockbusters on show, visit the revolutionary resort to see how the martyrs sacrificed themselves in exchange to our present peaceful life. We also celebrate the birthday together, making dumplings in all for the traditional Lantern Festival. Whatever we do, we mostly do it together as a grand community, or in another word, as a big family that melds in one.

The Troupe set committees to help as enhance the ability of self-administration, in which I am selected to be the leader that assists my fellows and makes mutual progress in growth.

In the early age of my life I had lots of dreams and aspirations, but never dreamt of one day that a wanting kid like me, like us, would be favored by the media and audience. I was chosen as the cover girl of the Ballet magazine, which recorded our daily life and rehearsal under stage in details. The Fuji Television Network of Japan made the special reports designed particularly for us, and traveled to both the Troupe and my hometown for interview, praising that our life stories would impel the spirits of the youth in Japan.

This is not only the story of my own life, but also the epitome of our generation – how the young blood like us struggled and drifted, but eventually find a home to root. “Losing hearing hardens my life, yet still I feel alive in joy.” It is not until today that I can fully understand Ms. Tai Lihua’s saying by heart.