Ballet Workshop Promotes Paralympic Spirit

yaponline.org (Beijing, 24/06/2008)

Thirty young advocates are currently taking part in a 3-day ballet workshop being held in Beijing, China. The workshop, run by the British Royal Ballet Company, aims to develop the skills of the young advocates as well as to promote awareness of the paralympic spirit and stress the importance of the inclusion of young people with disabilities in sport.

Half of the young advocates taking part in the workshop are disabled people nominated by the China Disabled Persons' Federation. The workshop is being run as part of a wider program aiming to create a worldwide community of young advocates who are able contribute positively to their local communities after taking part in a wide variety of activities that are designed to broaden their confidence, communication, and leadership skills. The dance workshop is the first workshop to be held after the official launch of the project, which took place yesterday in Beijing.

At the launch, Tony Hall, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, said: "This opportunity to work with the Young Advocates in developing their communication skills and exploring their creative potential is extremely exciting. We hope our work with the Young Advocates can help them make their advocacy of the Paralympic Spirit inspirational and meaningful for their audiences."