中国盲人姑娘的芭蕾舞蹈

Wednesday marks the international White Cane Safety Day. The date is set aside to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired. Estimates put China as the country with the largest number of the world’s blind people, accounting for 18 percent. We hear the story now, of a girl in China’s northern Tianjin city, who overcame her disability to realise her dancing dreams. She spoke to our reporter Wu Guoxiu about dancing in the dark.

Watching this vibrant swan on-stage, one can hardly believe that this girl suffers from impaired eyesight.

22-year-old Zhao Yunhui is now a dancing major in Tianjin Conservatory of Music. Wearing glasses will not aid her, as her vision, is impaired at 0.03. A corrected vision of less than 0.05 is defined as blindness by the World Health Organization.

"In normal distance, I can see the largest E on the visual chart when its three times bigger. I can recognize a person only when he is within one meter," Zhao said.

The world looks at best a blur to Zhao Yunhui. She essentially can’t see but she is clear about her dream--to be a ballet dancer. She began to learn ballet at 7, against some doubts, but also with hopes and expectations. She says if there is a secret, it’s never-ending practice. She has to pose each movement with the help of teacher, and remember it—with her body.

"The teacher would tell us to stare at one point when twirling. But I can’t see the point at all. I could only remember how much strength I should use by my muscles," Zhao said.

15 years on, Zhao Yunhui has won national prizes and appeared on TV shows. Each time before going on stage, she would measure it with steps. And though she can’t see her audience, she says this makes her concentrate.

"A good part is it can help me focusing more on myself, and my performance. I am whomever I act on stage, I won’t care too much others," Zhao said.

Zhao is applying for a master of fine arts in the United States. She says she wants to go as far as possible in the path of dancing.

Though Zhao Yunhui needs to spend longer hours compared to her classmates in this exercise room, she says ballet dancing is her biggest love. Despite have to dance in the dark, she hopes she can twirl and illuminate a path to a brighter life and future.