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Liu Yan is a girl whose dance dream sprouted from a young age. From the age of 3, her parents discovered their daughter's talent for dancing and sent her to learn dance. In interest classes three times a week, 10-year-old Liu Yan is always the first to arrive and the last to leave, and the teachers praise her for her talent.
In 1992, Liu Yan passed a strict selection and was successfully admitted to the High School Affiliated to Beijing Dance Academy, where he began a six-year period of arduous professional training. She gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to practice, and often stays after school to train and strive to practice every movement to perfection.
Dance occupies an important place in Liu Yan's life, and it is the source and motivation that supports her growth.
At the age of 17, Liu Yan was admitted to the Chinese classical dance major of the Beijing Dance Academy with excellent results. Compared with other students, her basic skills are more solid, and she also has a good reputation in the school.
During the four years of university, Liu Yan continued to improve himself, accumulated rich dance knowledge, and gradually grew into an excellent young dancer.
In 2006, Liu Yan was only 24 years old, and he stood on the stage of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and performed with Yang Liping. She was dressed in a light red dress, like a fairy with a red face.
The pair of beautiful legs that showed brilliance on the screen won her the reputation of "Liu Yijiao".
In 2008, by chance, Liu Yan was selected by director Zhang Yimou to become a soloist at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. This is a lifelong dream for many dancers, and it is of great significance to Liu Yan.
She will present the story of an oriental woman trekking through mountains and rivers on the Silk Road, heralding a higher level of her career.
However, the gears of fate turned mercilessly at this time, Liu Yan had an accident during the rehearsal process, fell from the peak into the abyss, and thus lost the opportunity to continue to bloom on the stage, and the flower of dance withered in this way.
After Liu Yan fell from a height, he was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. When she woke up from her coma and found herself numb and unconscious from the waist down, she immediately asked her mother about her condition.
The mother's choked expression said it all - she could no longer stand.
"Is this the end of my dancing career?" is an unacceptable bad news for Liu Yan. As a dancer, 10 years of hard training came to an abrupt halt when she was in her prime, which was almost the equivalent of a death sentence.
Liu Yan couldn't believe or accept this fact, and desperately beat his legs in the hope of regaining consciousness, but finally broke down and cried in his mother's arms.
"Director, can I attend the opening ceremony?" Zhang Yimou on the other end of the phone couldn't hide his chokes, he knew what Liu Yan meant to him. This stage, which used to be her pride, has now become a place that she is out of reach.
In the following days, Liu Yan lay on the hospital bed all day long, his eyes were empty, and the whole world seemed to collapse.
When the brightly lit bird's nest was presented on the TV screen, Liu Yan closed his eyes in pain. She was supposed to dance there and glorify her life, but at this moment, she could only struggle in a hospital bed.
After the accident, Liu Yan was transferred to a rehabilitation center for treatment. At first, doctors gave her hope that she might have a chance to regain some of her mobility if she worked hard to recover.
Thus, Liu Yan began his long road to recovery.
Every morning, with the help of her mother and doctors, Liu Yan insisted on completing difficult standing exercises, and in the afternoon, she did various stretching exercises, although the pain was unbearable, Liu Yan never had the idea of giving up, she only let her tears and sweat stay in a place that others could not see.
At first, Liu Yan made some progress every week, and felt a little sensation in her legs, which made her believe that as long as she persevered, she could return to the stage. However, the good times were short-lived, and after the first two or three months, her recovery progress did not improve.
Even with increased training volume and intensity, my legs still don't feel sensation.
Liu Yan looked at the cold words on the rehabilitation report, her eyes were full of tears, and she couldn't help but ask herself: "Is this really my limit?" She felt that her two years of hard training seemed to be in vain, and she couldn't help but feel hopeless.
When the doctor announced that Liu Yan would not be able to stand for the rest of his life, the last glimmer of hope was dashed. Liu Yan collapsed inside, cried loudly in the hospital room, and slammed his head against his immobile legs.
"When God closes one door, he opens another. This sentence ignited hope in Liu Yan's heart in despair.
Like a freshman, Liu Yan made up his mind to make a big decision - to return to his alma mater to learn hand dance. She will no longer be helpless, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, she will continue to try.
After many applications, Liu Yan finally returned to the School of Dance and began to focus on the research and study of hand dance.
During the daytime class, Liu Yan always chooses to sit in the front row, for fear of missing any knowledge points. At night, she stayed up all night studying the materials, and from time to time asked her roommates to help record her practice.
After a lot of unremitting efforts, Liu Yan skillfully integrated the essence of classical Chinese dance and Indian classical dance into his dances, and also introduced elements such as Buddhist mudras to create a unique style.
In 2014, Liu Yan successfully obtained her Ph.D., and her dissertation was highly praised by her teachers. As the school's first Ph.D. to study hand dance, this is undoubtedly the best proof of her hard work.
In order to provide her with a more comprehensive education, the school specially opened relevant courses for her. Liu Yan chose to return to her alma mater to teach, which is also an important step for her to realize a new path in dance.
In the face of many obstacles, Liu Yan did not choose to give up, but showed perseverance beyond ordinary people. When she sits in a wheelchair and uses her hands to bounce a new dance that has come through the ordeals, her eyes are no longer dim, but they are full of confidence and tenacity.
This was the most touching turning point in life.
After receiving her Ph.D., Liu Yan chose to return to her alma mater, Beijing Dance Academy, to share her knowledge and experience of hand dance with students. This time, however, she stepped onto the podium in a different way – she sat in a wheelchair and used her arms to show the beauty of the dance.
When teaching students hand dance skills, Liu Yan is always able to explain endlessly, and her explanations are full of understanding and mastery of dance rhythm and character emotions, which are her own brainchild.
If class time is insufficient, Liu Yan will gather students in the dormitory for additional training, carefully correcting every detail.
In his spare time, Liu Yan actively participates in public welfare undertakings. She offers dance classes to people with disabilities to help them regain their self-confidence. In addition, she regularly goes to the welfare home every weekend to teach free sign language classes to deaf and mute children.
She transmits the power of dance, light and heat.
In 2021, with the help of students and friends, Liu Yan directed the original dance drama "Beijing Banquet". The dance drama has excellent visual and auditory effects and has received high praise from the industry.
The drama on the stage came to an end, and Liu Yan sat backstage with tears in his eyes, taking the flowers with both hands. She didn't choose to stand up and bow in greeting, but she still walked firmly on the path of dance and continued to grow.
Liu Yan has spent the past 15 years looking for a new direction, choosing to use her hands when she can't stand on her feet. When she couldn't perform on stage, she chose to start over in the classroom and theater.
In the midst of difficulties, Liu Yan always insisted on self-improvement, and finally found new motivation.
Once, she fell into despair. Now, she is full of hope with her persistence. Liu Yan is like a stubborn stone, which has been tempered countless times, and finally sharpened his own unique light.
When she took her students on stage again, she felt more joy and satisfaction than before. Dance is not just a standing performance, but a resonance of the soul.
Zhang Yimou commented on Liu Yan and said that she was the strongest girl. Although she has a disability, she has never given up the pursuit of her ideals, and she cannot stand, but she transmits positive energy in another way.
There are countless individuals like Liu Yan in society, and they constitute the most moving landscape in society.
Life is wonderful because of hope, and the process is beautiful because of perseverance. Liu Yan's story tells us that the most valuable wealth in life is the will to improve oneself. In the face of difficulties and setbacks, we need to dare to explore, have the courage to break through, and unswervingly continue to move forward towards the light.
As the famous saying goes: a great life lies in struggle, and a great life lies in dedication. Such a spirit is immortal, such a glorious life.