The Dance of a Thousand-Hands, otherwise known as the Thousand-Hand Guan Yin Dance, is a performance which consists of 63 performers who are all Hearing impaired. ^[10]The dance was created by famed Chinese choreographer, Zhang Jigang. ^[9]He sums up the performance with the following message. ^[7]

As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart A thousand hands will naturally come to your aid As long as you are kind and there is love in your heart You will reach out with a thousand hands to help others

Bodhisattva is a term in Mahayana Buddhism that describes a person who is able to reach nirvana but

delays doing so out of compassion in order to save suffering beings.

^[9]The word can be broken up into two parts, Bodhi which means wisdom and Sattva which means essence.

^[10]A Bodhisattva is a being who is enlightened and ready to transcend the cycles of birth and death, but chooses not to in order to help others reach the same level.

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Guanyin (Guan Yin) is the Bodhisattva of compassion; in English, Guan Yin translates to Goddess of Mercy and is often compared to the Virgin Mary of Catholicism. ^[9]short for Guan Shi Yin. If you break down the word, Guan means to observe, watch, or monitor; Shi means the world; Yin represents the sounds of those who suffer. ^[10] Guan Yin is the most widely known Bodhisattva to Western Culture, and the two word often are wrongly used interchangeably; Every Guan Yin is a Bodhisattva but not every Bodhisattva is a Guan Yin. ^[10]

The thousand-hand dance represents the omnipotence of Guan Yan and her ability to help those in need heal.

^[10]Guan Yin can become many different faces and transform into whatever people need them to be because she is fundamentally selfless.

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The Thousand-Hand Guan Yin dance was created by Zhang Jigang. ^[9]He is a revered choreographer

who a Lieutenant General in the People’s Liberation Army, he holds the highest non-combat rank in the Chinese Military.

^[9]Although he has led several productions worldwide, his most well-known performance that he produced was the "Dance of a Thousand Hands."

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The performance consists of 63 members of the China Disabled People’s Arts Troupe, all of whom are hearing-impaired.

^[10]Due to their deafness, six choreographers dressed in white cloth guide the performers to synchronize them with the music.

^[9]First performed in 2005, the production has captivated audiences around the globe.

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