A POPULAR dance show presented as part of the 2005 CCTV New Year Gala show has triggered a range of significant reactions, encompassing such areas as care for the disabled, commerce and even intellectual property disputes.

On the eve of Lunar 2005, a group-dance show named "One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin" was presented by 21 deaf and mute girls in the Spring Festival Gala 2005 on China Central Television. A nationwide poll taken 15 days later found 95.45 per cent of the country's TV audience had seen the show. "One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin" was ranked as the top song and dance event, winning overwhelmingly, with 40 per cent of those polled selecting it.

"One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin was the undisputed winner of the gala," a netizen commented on the Internet. "Its choreography and setting as well as the music were all perfect. Still more amazing was the fact that the dancers who are all deaf did such a great job, keeping perfect time with the music even though they could not hear it." Most of those polled said they had been very moved by the show and the young disabled dancers.

The choreographer, director and leading dancer of the show has since appeared frequently in the spotlight. The show's distinctive features have been imitated by ordinary people and even by foreigners. The stories of the girl dancers and their directors have also attract great interest from the public, as reflected by the media. A movie and several books describing how the show evolved are in preparation. Undoubtedly, "One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin" has created a sensation.

Focus on disability

Increasing attention is being paid to disabled people, especially the deaf and mute, after the huge success of the show. Some people have volunteered their help, starting by learning sign language.

"We can communicate with deaf and mute people and help them in their job seeking and career training after learning sign language," said one volunteer surnamed Xu.

"Many people have called to ask how to learn sign language. We have already passed the teaching material for sign language on to local communities," said a source with the Shanghai Rehabilitation Centre. According to the source, local service industries such as banks and hospitals are in a need of such sign language interpreters.

According to the Shanghai Evening Post, 30 doctors and nurses from 18 hospitals in the Xuhui District began taking sign language training classes this February. They are expected to become the first group of sign language interpreters in Chinese hospitals. Previously, none of the hospitals in Shanghai were able to offer this kind of service for disabled people.

Leggy Kwan-yin

The distinctive features of "One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin" seem to have inspired some Chinese companies to alter their advertizing strategies. Recently, one domestic private company called "Gracewell", mainly engaged in underwear and cosmetic production, has sought trade-mark protection for what it calls "Slim Leg Kwan-yin".

This application was accepted by the State Intellectual Property Office, triggering a social dispute, since it was perceived as a crude copy of the show. On the label for Gracewell's newly-developed stockings, an Indian woman stands in the middle, with 42 women's legs in a circle behind her. A golden archway is painted as the backdrop, with the label's title "Slim Leg Kwan-yin" written on it.

"We did hope our design would gain additional notice based on the show's reputation," said Zhan Dedong, vice-general manager of Gracewell. "On the other hand, we are also using the homophony of the two titles to advertize the function of our products - making women's legs slimmer."

"This label is suspected of having partially violated the intellectual property of 'One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin"', said Xue Li, with the China Disabled People's Arts Theatre. She said the golden archway in the backdrop, which the arts theatre designed originally for the Spring Festival show, was clearly copied by the stocking label.

IP contention

It seems that "One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin" is so widely adored that many other troupes have begun to follow its successful example, presenting similar shows across the country.

However, the China Disabled People's Arts Theatre, the original performer, recently applied for exclusive rights to the show, alleging that other troupes have no right to stage the show unless they receive permission from the original owner.

"We would like to stage this show and our dancers are able to present it very well. But right now we are not allowed to do so," said a source with the Tangshan Disabled People's Troupe. The troupe's recent shows in Xi'an have triggered complaints from audiences because they did not stage "One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin" as announced in promotion material.

Gao Jinrong, a well-known Chinese choreographer, recently revealed that she was the person to originally create the idea of the "One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin" dance. Gao said the dance had been one of her works just a few years ago, but now she was unable to present it as its copyright had been seized by the China Disabled People's Arts Theatre.

"What I expect is the right to continue to stage my own creation. Otherwise, I will seek a conclusive legal solution," she said.

According to a source with the Beijing Copyright Protection Centre, the version registered by the China Disabled People's Arts Theatre does not prevent the creation and distribution of other artistic works based on the same theme.

"The conception of 'One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin' originates from Buddhism. People can create various versions of 'One-thousand-hand Kwan-yin' based on their different understanding of this conception," the source said. "What the laws protect is not the underlying theme of creative works, but their particular forms."