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Able and willing to dance

The Northern Ballet Theater, from Britain, is running a workshop in Beijing for young people with and without disabilities, from Monday to Friday. The workshop is organized in partnership with the British Council and the China Disabled Persons Federation.

Twenty students, aged 18-25 years, from Beijing Union University are taking part in the week-long workshop. The participants are not professional dancers, and half of the group is disabled people. The rest of the group is normal students, trained to teach people with disabilities. The workshop aims to improve participants' communication skills through dance.

The dance workshop is the first event of the Young Advocates Program - Developing the Paralympic Spirit. This is a British Council led initiative to secure an international legacy for China's 2008 and the UK's 2012 Paralympic Games.

Film industry cheers Olympics

More than 200 filmmakers, showbiz stars and artists voiced their support for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at a reception on Monday, in Beijing, vowing to play a role in promoting the Beijing Olympics.

The "Welcoming Olympic Christmas Reception" was hosted by the Hong Kong Film Development Council, with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Donald Tsang and president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Timothy Fok.

Chairman of the Film Development Council Jack So said the Olympic Games and film industry shared common ground - they are both cradles for talent.

"Film stars and sports elites both have the determination to strive for excellence and record-breaking success," So said, adding "the exciting Olympic Games and the blockbusters of Hong Kong have always been able to attract and inspire big audiences".

Fok thanked the film industry for taking the lead in supporting the Olympic Games.

Chairman of the Hong Kong Chamber of Films Peter Lam said the organization would help the Film Development Council shoot a series of Olympic Games promotional videos, which would be shown in member theaters at the Hong Kong Theaters Association.

Eric Tsang, chairman of the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild, also pledged support promoting the Games.

Depp tops autograph list

Johnny Depp has another reason to celebrate this Christmas, a day after becoming a Golden Globe nominee - the actor has topped a list of the best signing celebrities.

The Sweeney Todd star is considered the most gracious celebrity - for the third year in a row - on Autograph magazine's annual list of the 10 Best and 10 Worst Hollywood Signers.

That's because he almost always agrees to scribble his autograph if a fan asks him for it.

In the new December issue of the publication, New York autograph dealer Anthony Risi says, "He likes to talk to fans and get to know them while signing and he'll sign more than one item when he has time."

Matt Damon is second on the new list, followed by George Clooney, Jack Nicholson, Rosario Dawson, John Travolta, Katherine Heigl, Jay Leno, Dakota Fanning and Russell Crowe, who was among the worst signers on last year's countdown.

Funnyman Will Ferrell was shamed as the worst celebrity signer, followed by Tobey Maguire, Joaquin Phoenix, William Shatner and Renee Zellweger.

China Daily-Agencies

(China Daily 12/19/2007 page18)