Hearing no impairment to deaf dancer from Jilin

Another difficulty resulted from his artificial cochlea, which helps him feel the vibrations.

"There are lots of strenuous movements during dancing, like jumps and turns," he said. "As my artificial cochlea can easily fall out, I have to wear a headband to help keep it in."

Through perseverance and hard work, Zhan came to excel at dancing and was admitted to Changchun University to study dance in 2021.

"I also got a lot of help from my teachers at the university," he said. "They were very respectful and never treated me differently because of my 'imperfection', so I don't see myself as different from anyone else."

In recent years, Zhan has built up a great deal of experience performing at events such as the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games and the 2023 Spring Festival Gala.

"I have studied modern dance, classical dance and ballet. I especially like classical dance," he said. "Dancing made me confident and happier and stronger."

After he graduates, Zhan wants to return to the troupe and become a national-level dancer. He said that in the future, he hopes he can help instill his passion in others like him.

"When I am too old to dance, I hope to become a teacher and help other children with hearing impairments learn how to dance and feel its joy," he said.

Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn