Months before this break through performance, the Thousand Armed Goddess appeared as part of the closing ceremony of the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games. Like the athletes competing in Athens, Tai Lihua doesn't view being disabled as an obstacle, but simply as one more challenge to overcome in perfecting her talents.
Tai Lihua said, "Life is such a precious gift, that even if to others it seems marred by physical disability, this only makes us strive harder and appreciate even more the things we can enjoy it's something that is very healthy for the soul."
Tai Lihua said, "I didn't study music and dance until I was well into primary school. The teacher saw potential in me and took me to a rehearsal room with a piano and a drum. I stood in the middle of the room while the teacher played a drum. I could feel the vibrations coming up through the wood floor and throughout my body. For me it was like hearing. Though only it was only the beating of a drum, I thought it was the most beautiful music in the world. From that moment on, I began to embrace music."
Tai developed this sense of rhythm. And she has set herself high standards. She copied "The Soul of Peacock", the signature piece of China's renowned dancer Yang Liping. Yang herself would later help Tai hone her skills.
Working at a snail's pace, but with true professionalism, Tai learned by heart the 1000 steps of the eight-minute dance.
