A star afoot

Tragedy in Sichuan propelled a Chinese dancer to New York and a stellar career with the Martha Graham Company. Chen Jie reports.

If not for the earthquake on May 12, 2008, Xin Ying would still enjoy a smooth life in the small and scenic town of Mianyang in Southwest China's Sichuan province, teaching dance at the Sichuan College of Culture and Arts.

But overnight the earth shook, and many of her students, friends and acquaintances were gone. The magnitude-8.0 earthquake killed more than 69,000 people. As a survivor, she volunteered to help in the hospitals.