Legless girl pursues dream of dancing
Print Edition
“I have always dreamed of being a dancer,” the doe-eyed girl said as she shook her jet-black shoulder-length hair.
For a moment, a flash of disappointment clouded her dark eyes. If you had blinked, you would have missed it. For Jiang Zhangziyi, 11, who is affectionately called Ziyi by her family and friends, knows all too well that her dream will not be easy to achieve.
Four years ago, she lost both legs in a traffic accident.
A video went viral online last month, in which Ziyi, dressed in white, danced gracefully with her mom. Many viewers were moved by this intimate snapshot of a girl who, despite her handicap, feels happiest when she dances.
Ziyi is from Shangrao in east China’s Jiangxi province. Her life changed on October 28, 2010.
“Ziyi told me that she was going to her school’s sports club that afternoon before scampering out the door,” her mom, Zhang Shuixiang, recalled.
When it was time for Ziyi to return home, however, bad news arrived in her place.
“Someone told me that Ziyi had been involved in a traffic accident, and her legs had been crushed,” Zhang said. Zhang collapsed when she saw her motionless daughter.
“I was so beside myself that I even contemplated suicide,” she said. “She was only 6 years old, she had only been walking for a few years.
Her daughter was stronger than she thought. After recovering from having her legs amputated, she learned to walk on what was left of her limbs. When she stumbled, her mom cried, and Ziyi would say, “Please don’t be sad, otherwise I will hurt more.”
Four years ago, Ziyi told her mom that she wanted to dance. “I still have hands, and you can help me,” the girl said. “Let’s dance together.”
A teacher, Ye Xiaofang, offered to give Ziyi free lessons.
In 2013, her father entered her into a children’s dancing contest in Shangrao. Ziyi won.
A movie about Ziyi’s story, “Dream of Heaven,” debuted at the Shanghai International Film Festival, and will be shown nationwide this summer.
Ziyi now has another dream, “I want to go to a good school of arts, and perform on a bigger platform in the future. If you really want to do something, you just have to carry on.”
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