Landmark gala show for impaired fans

Her dream of conveying the essence of a performance has been realized through her own efforts. As an actor, she uses sign language to communicate the melody and rhythm of music and the meaning of jokes for hearing-impaired viewers.

On Jan 28, she joined the "accessible broadcast" of the Spring Festival Gala hosted by the CMG. She was one of 13 deaf performers from the troupe that staged the special performance for hearing-impaired viewers. It was the first time a full show, catering to both hearing- and vision-impaired people, had been aired.

One of the songs Chen interpreted for the TV broadcast was the Tide Rising Dance, a high-energy song with complex rhythms and fast beats. It was the most challenging performance she has done with sign language, she said.

The rhythm of the traditional Chinese musical instruments, such as the gong and drum, flowed naturally. But Chen said in her early attempts at interpreting the song, the movements were always out of sync with the verses.

To overcome this, she practiced in private. Every night, she held a bass speaker to feel the vibrations of the music, while watching a video of the conductor's lip movements to try and memorize the melody and rhythm.

Eventually, she more clearly sensed the music's tempo — whether it was fast or slow, urgent or calm. "There were no shortcuts, only repeated practice," Chen said.

What made her proud was the positive feedback from the deaf and blind community after the special performance aired on TV. Many commented they felt as if they could "see" and "hear" the magnificent stage and experience the joyful atmosphere of the show.