Most Popular

An art performance of persons with disabilities was given at the Nampho Municipal Youth Open-air Theatre on June 18, the Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Among the numbers applauded by the audience was a dance performed by Ju Su Yang and Ryu Jin Hyok.

Though they are hearing-impaired, the dancers of the Korea Art Association of Persons with Disabilities performed incredibly graceful and elegant dance movements to a cheerful tune to be appreciated and acclaimed by the audience.

It is over ten years since they started dancing on the stage as first members of the dance group organized along with the KAAPD.

Having lost her hearing at two, Su Yang was said to have been good at handicraft as a child and those who saw dolls and pictures she made and painted said she would become a famous painter or craftswoman someday.

But growing in her heart was a dream to become a dancer.

“Every time I saw her mimic dancers on TV, I could not help thinking it was an impossible dream,” said her mother An Song Hui. “But my daughter realized her dream under the care of officials of the art association of the disabled.”

Ryu Jin Hyok who lost his hearing in an accident was particularly fond of dancing from his childhood.

Thanks to officials of the Central Committee of the Korea Federation for the Protection of the Persons with Disabilities who were eager to find and nurture the talents of disabled persons, he became an art group member of the KAAPD at the age of 13.

On the day when his mother Ri Ok Suk saw him full of vigour after receiving the first dance lesson at the group, she wept tears of gratitude to the country for bringing into full bloom her son’s dream of becoming a dancer.

Jon Kyong Sim, who was a dance instructor of the association, devoted her all to teaching Su Yang and Jin Hyok dance movements one by one by applying a guidance method suited to the hearing-impaired so as to train them as brilliant dancers. Officials of the association showed fraternal affection to them lest they should give in to the heavy burden of training.

With the help of these kind people, they could bring their talents into full bloom.

When they put their first dance piece “Trio Dance” on the stage, all family members of the disabled as well as their parents shed tears of joy.

After winning the highest praise at domestic performances, they toured the UK and France, where they excellently performed as leading dancers in the foreign fairytale dance “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in February 2015, becoming great sensations.

After enjoying their performance, a professor of Oxford University said that it was unimaginable for the hearing-impaired to perform dances in groups and that he wondered how the conception of timing and rhythm was given to the deaf children so that they could make quick dances collectively.

While joining efforts to perfect dance movements and caring for each other, Ju Su Yang and Ryu Jin Hyok fell in love and tied the knot under the blessing of the officials and employees of the Central Committee of the KFPPD in 2023.

“Thanks to the country’s benevolent policy of protecting the disabled and the meticulous care of the officials of the association, we could live our dream,” said Ju and Ryu with sign language.

Singing the ode to the motherland in their minds, they are putting their heart and soul into their beautiful and marvellous dances.