SDG10
"Open Hearts, Embrace Life" - Mixed-Disability Troupe's Performance at NCKU Inspires with Life's Touch
On October 25th, the Mixed-Disability Troupe, a performing arts group composed of individuals with various disabilities, showcased their talents and life stories in a performance titled "Open Hearts, Embrace Life" at the Phoenix Tree Theater of NCKU. The goal was to encourage NCKU students to bravely pursue their passions through the power of artistic expression and real-life stories.
Organized by Associate Professor Wei-Chien Ma from the NCKU Institute of Art Studies, the event featured friends with various disabilities who overcame challenges to be on stage, motivating students to empathize with the inconveniences faced by others and reflect on civic issues, realizing that "we can help others and, in doing so, help ourselves."
During an interview, Ming Liu, the leader of the Mixed-Disability Troupe, expressed the desire to "inspire life with life and influence life through life." One of the hosts, Shu-Zhen Li, shared that Ming Liu, who contracted polio at the age of 3, losing the autonomy of all four limbs and relying on a wheelchair for mobility, did not give up. Liu Ming has since lived an extraordinary life as a radio program host, author, and lead actor in Da-Ai Theater, becoming the first disabled person in Taiwan to win the Golden Bell Award for Radio. Despite the challenging physical conditions, he has lived a remarkably vibrant life.
The first group to perform on stage consisted of two hearing-impaired dancers, Ming-Yao Jiang and Yu-Ru Qiu. Dancing gracefully to music, they astounded the audience by revealing that they are completely deaf, relying only on sign language and simple lip-reading for communication. The audience was curious about how they could dance to music without hearing it. Jiang and Qiu explained that they feel the vibrations of the wooden floor with their feet, allowing them to move to the rhythm. During the Q&A session, a student who studies ballroom dancing attempted to feel the vibrations with his feet but faced inevitable challenges.
Li-Hong Liu, a limb-impaired singer and crutch dancer, took the stage as the finale. She performed a heartwarming song titled "The Road Must Be Walked Alone," moving everyone with her beautiful voice and inspiring lyrics. Liu's performance encouraged everyone in the audience to try things they aspire to do.
The event, initiated by the NCKU Center for General Education's "Traditional Opera with Its Practice and Implementation" course and proposed by Professor Wei-Chien Ma from the NCKU Institute of Art Studies, aimed to inspire NCKU students through talent performances and personal life stories. The Mixed-Disability Troupe, led by Liu Ming and Shu-Zhen Li, showcased the abilities of its members, including Ming-Yao Jiang, Yu-Ru Qiu, Bo-Qiang Wu, Zhe-Li Lin, and Li-Hong Liu. Additionally, performances by NCKU drama master's program student Cheng-Yang Yuan, who presented a diabolo performance, and volunteers from the ADLINK Educational Foundation, including Xin-Wei Zhang from the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts' Folk Arts and Crafts Department, who demonstrated cartilage exercises and carpet-turning, added to the diverse and vibrant program.
The live audience at the event responded enthusiastically, with continuous applause during the performances. In the closing remarks, Professor Ma was moved and choked with emotion, expressing, "I am very touched. Their journey is even more challenging than ours. How do we face our own lives on our own paths?" Through this performance, the audience could feel the rich life energy of the Mixed-Disability Troupe, believing that it can inspire many more individuals to bravely face their own lives.
Organized by Associate Professor Wei-Chien Ma from the NCKU Institute of Art Studies, the event featured friends with various disabilities who overcame challenges to be on stage, motivating students to empathize with the inconveniences faced by others and reflect on civic issues, realizing that "we can help others and, in doing so, help ourselves."
During an interview, Ming Liu, the leader of the Mixed-Disability Troupe, expressed the desire to "inspire life with life and influence life through life." One of the hosts, Shu-Zhen Li, shared that Ming Liu, who contracted polio at the age of 3, losing the autonomy of all four limbs and relying on a wheelchair for mobility, did not give up. Liu Ming has since lived an extraordinary life as a radio program host, author, and lead actor in Da-Ai Theater, becoming the first disabled person in Taiwan to win the Golden Bell Award for Radio. Despite the challenging physical conditions, he has lived a remarkably vibrant life.
The first group to perform on stage consisted of two hearing-impaired dancers, Ming-Yao Jiang and Yu-Ru Qiu. Dancing gracefully to music, they astounded the audience by revealing that they are completely deaf, relying only on sign language and simple lip-reading for communication. The audience was curious about how they could dance to music without hearing it. Jiang and Qiu explained that they feel the vibrations of the wooden floor with their feet, allowing them to move to the rhythm. During the Q&A session, a student who studies ballroom dancing attempted to feel the vibrations with his feet but faced inevitable challenges.
Li-Hong Liu, a limb-impaired singer and crutch dancer, took the stage as the finale. She performed a heartwarming song titled "The Road Must Be Walked Alone," moving everyone with her beautiful voice and inspiring lyrics. Liu's performance encouraged everyone in the audience to try things they aspire to do.
The event, initiated by the NCKU Center for General Education's "Traditional Opera with Its Practice and Implementation" course and proposed by Professor Wei-Chien Ma from the NCKU Institute of Art Studies, aimed to inspire NCKU students through talent performances and personal life stories. The Mixed-Disability Troupe, led by Liu Ming and Shu-Zhen Li, showcased the abilities of its members, including Ming-Yao Jiang, Yu-Ru Qiu, Bo-Qiang Wu, Zhe-Li Lin, and Li-Hong Liu. Additionally, performances by NCKU drama master's program student Cheng-Yang Yuan, who presented a diabolo performance, and volunteers from the ADLINK Educational Foundation, including Xin-Wei Zhang from the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts' Folk Arts and Crafts Department, who demonstrated cartilage exercises and carpet-turning, added to the diverse and vibrant program.
The live audience at the event responded enthusiastically, with continuous applause during the performances. In the closing remarks, Professor Ma was moved and choked with emotion, expressing, "I am very touched. Their journey is even more challenging than ours. How do we face our own lives on our own paths?" Through this performance, the audience could feel the rich life energy of the Mixed-Disability Troupe, believing that it can inspire many more individuals to bravely face their own lives.
Mixed-Disability Troupe Inspires NCKU Community with Positive Energy, Touching Hearts
Hosts Ming Liu (Left) and Shu-Zhen Li (Right)
Mesmerizing Fan Dance Performance by Hearing-Impaired Dancers Ming-Yao Jiang (Left) and Yu-Ru Qiu (Right)
Empowering Vocal Performance by Limb-Impaired Singer Li-Hong Liu
Visually-Impaired Singer Bo-Qiang Wu Warms Hearts with Guitar and Vocals
Zhe-Li Lin, a Person with Down Syndrome, Spreads Positive Vibes Through Energetic Dance
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