Thousand-armed Kannon dance
Jan 17th, 2008 by Ad Blankestijn
The Thousand-armed Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, is my favorite Buddhist statue. I found this wonderful Youtube video of the Kannon coming alive and fanning out its myriad arms in a dance by young Chinese women, the China Disabled People’s Performance Art Troupe.
The dance troupe imitates the Kannon in a most expressive and artistic way… it took my breath away! All participants are hearing impaired, which all the more brings home the perfection of their choreography. Here is an interview with Tai Lihua, the leader of the troupe. It seems they will perform at the upcoming Beijing Olympics as well.
Here and here are articles about her from the Chinese press.
