One of China’s most revered classical dancers was seriously injured during rehearsals for Olympics opening night ceremonies when she leaped onto a floorboard that collapsed. She’s currently in the hospital unable to feel anything below her chest and is told she may never walk again. Here’s the Times article. (via Jolene)
On a side note, the NYTimes website can be rather ridiculous at times. They seem to have a policy that their writers are supposed to link only to articles within the Times’ own site. So, when this writer, David Barboza, tells you Liu Yan has become very popular on YouTube, you click on his (or his editor’s) link thinking you’re going to be led to a YouTube clip of her performing. But what do you get instead: a completely irrelevant article from the Times’ Business archive on the YouTube phenomenon. Why even link if it has nothing to do with the issue? I’m pretty sure everyone knows what YouTube is by now.
Anyway, since I’m a blogger and can link to websites other than my own, here, here, and here are some YouTube clips I found of her performing. And she’s listed as the main soloist in this beautiful piece. There are many more. Hopefully she’ll recover.
She is such a complete performer – it was mesmerizing, watching her. It’s so tragic, but I’m most struck by how everyone was told to keep it a secret for almost 2 weeks, in case it would tarnish China’s image. I hope that people are taking care of her welfare above all else, at the risk of making China “look bad”. Miracles can happen, and I’m hoping she pulls through this successfully.
I know, and I don’t know why it was kept a secret because we all would have felt the same then as we do now: sorrow for her yet hope that she fully recovers. It sounds like a horrible, tragic accident so there’s no reason anyone should be scared of “looking bad,” you know. I’m glad it was at least revealed now — if you do an internet search you see how much support she’s gotten. She is a truly beautiful dancer. Thanks, Jolene, for finding the article — can you tell I read blogs these days before the actual paper :S
haha totally! I do that too.
Does anyone know Liu Yan's birth date? Please advise kjbaidin@yahoo.com
Does anyone know Liu Yan's birth date? Please advise kjbaidin@yahoo.com