Polio victim to showcase wheelchair dancing at Blossom Arts Festival

All for the arts: (From left) Dual Space Dance Theatre founder and managing director Anthony Meh, Lin, Chew, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia representative James Chang and Tecom cultural division director Tien Yu-An at a preview of the Taiwanese performers’ participation in the festival at Wisma MCA.

KUALA LUMPUR: Polio victim Sophi Lin Hsiu Hsia was all smiles as she made her way to her wheelchair to a preview of her performance at the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia 2016.

Some may think a polio survivor would not be able to dance, but Lin has managed to defy the odds.

The wheelchair dancing champion said it was not easy for her to walk or even think about dancing since her left polio-stricken leg is weak and standing is painful for her.

“But I learnt about balance in dance and I am now able to do it with less pain,” she said during an interview yesterday.

Lin, 49, is among the performers from Taiwan who are joining the month-long festival.

She is a national coach and judge of wheelchair dancing under the Chinese Taipei Sports Federation for the Disabled.

She has won many world and Asia ballroom dancing competitions in Japan, Singapore, Holland, Taiwan, Germany and Russia, including the IPG Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championship.

She said dancing on her wheelchair enabled her to appreciate the beauty of her own body and explore the possibilities within herself.

“Dancing with an imperfect body and making wheelchair dancing a miracle of life enables me to encourage others to reconsider their own meaning in life, appreciate what they have and not focus on what they don’t have,” said Lin.

Lin and Dual Blessing Bhd will hold a charity concert on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Chinese Culture and Arts Consul­tative Coun­cil president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun announced that Taiwan had sponsored four groups comprising 34 people who would be involved in three performances and forums.

Chew also thanked the Taiwan­ese government for sponsoring T$1.09mil (RM136,000) by sending the 34 artists to participate in the festival, as well as other embassies.

The festival will feature five local and international performances from Taiwan, China, India and Japan on June 17 at Wisma MCA, Kuala Lumpur, from 8pm to 10pm.

The Punch Percussion Group from Taiwan will play exuberant music via classical percussion, and the Ping-Shadow Dance Theatre will feature a culturally rich dance which combines elements of ballet and traditional Chinese dances.

A Taiko drum performance by the locally-based Wadaiko Syo group, founded by highly experienced Nakanoshi Takayuki, will also be presented.

Meanwhile, the Ramli Ibrahim Sutra Dance Company will perform on June 29. Various exhibitions will also be held during the festival.

For any enquiries and to view the festival schedule, visit http://www.blossomartsfestival.my/ or the official Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia Facebook page, or call 03-2203 3971/3978/3979.