"I have always dreamed of being a dancer," the doe-eyed girl said as she shook her jet black shoulder-length hair.
For a moment, a flash of disappointment clouded her dark eyes. If you had blinked, you would have missed it. For Jiang Zhangziyi, 11, who is affectionately called Ziyi by her family and friends, knows all too well that her dream will not be easy to achieve.
Four years ago, she lost both legs in a traffic accident.
A video went viral online last month, in which Ziyi, dressed in white, danced gracefully with her mom. Many viewers were moved by this intimate snapshot of a girl who, despite her handicap, feels happiest when she dances.
Ziyi is from Shangrao in east China's Jiangxi province. Her life changed on Oct. 28, 2010.
"Ziyi told me that she was going to her school's sports club that afternoon before scampering out the door," her mom, Zhang Shuixiang, recalled.
When it was time for Ziyi to return home, however, bad news arrived in her place.
"Someone told me that Ziyi had been involved in a traffic accident, and her legs had been crushed," Zhang said.
Zhang collapsed when she saw her motionless daughter. "I was so beside myself that I even contemplated suicide," she said. "She was only six years old, she had only been walking for a few years.
Her daughter was stronger than she thought. After recovering from having her legs amputated, she learned to walk on what was left of her limbs. When she tumbled, her mom cried, and Ziyi would say, "please don't be sad, otherwise I will hurt more."
Four years ago, Ziyi told her mom that she wanted to dance.
"I still have hands, and you can help me," the girl said. "Let's dance together."
Finding a teacher proved to not be an easy task. Many instructors refused to teach Ziyi.
"I understood, after all, it is not like teaching an able-bodied person," Zhang said.
Finally they found Ye Xiaofang, who offered to give Ziyi lessons free-of-charge.
"She was smart," Ye said. "For some movements I only had to tell her once. She was also persistent. Her limbs sometimes hurt because of the friction but she never gave up."
Ziyi was confident. "Although I don't have legs, I can still dance as well as others," she said with a smile. "It was difficult at first, and painful, but I like dancing. If you really want to do something, you just have to carry on."
In 2013, her father entered her into a children's dancing contest in Shangrao. Ziyi won.
Web users were smitten with the little girl. They said she was "full of positive energy" and they called her "little sun."
Ziyi has a Weibo account. She has a committed, supportive following.
"Whenever I see your face, I see sunshine," said one user, "Hualuozhijiandeyuan." While another, "Majerry," said, "I cannot hold back my tears seeing you dance. You are the best. Your dream will be realized. You have our support."
Ziyi always replies to these encouraging comments but her family have politely turned down many donation offers.
Zhang runs a small clothes store, it is enough to support the family. "I don't want my daughter to rely on the help of others. I want her to be independent. 'You are not different from other people,' I say to her. 'you can do what they do, and you can live a good life on your own.'"
A movie about Ziyi's story, the Dream of Heaven, debuted at Shanghai International Film Festival, and will be shown nationwide this summer.
Ziyi now has another dream, "I want go to a good school of arts, and perform on a bigger platform in the future."
