One-legged dancer wows at Cirque Du Soleil
How inspiring! news.com.au shared this lovely article about one-legged Cirque Du Soleil dancer Jean Sok, read on; "Professional dancer" might seem like an unusual career choice for someone who is missing one leg. But try telling that to Jean Sok, who is about to arrive in Australia as part of Cirque Du Soleil's Michael Jackson tribute The Immortal World Tour.
"Any time I want to find I job, I audition as a normal person because I don't feel like I have any limitations,'' he says
Jean Sok, the one-legged dancer who performs with Cirque Du Soleil.
"It then depends on the people (who are watching), whether they see any limitations. I let them make up their own mind. ''
So far, the 27-year-old performer says he hasn't experienced too many problems.
Long-term Michael Jackson collaborator Travis Payne was moved to tears the first time he saw Sok dance - at the Paris auditions for The Immortal World Tour, an arena-style spectacular that reimagines more than 35 of the pop icon's best-known songs - including Dangerous, Thriller, Beat It, They Don't Care About Us, Man In the Mirror, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, and Billie Jean.
"He is exactly the type of artist Michael would love to see inspired by his work because by all accounts he is an underdog. But when he dances, he is one of the best on stage.
"It's a very level playing field at that point, because he is so special in his artistry."
One-legged dancer Jean Sok performs Dancing Machine. After seeing The Immortal World Tour in Las Vegas, US singer Cee Lo Green invited Sok to perform on stage with him at the 2012 Billboard awards, where according to most accounts, the gravity-defying Frenchman stole the show. Sok, who prefers not to talk about how he lost his leg, started dancing at the age of 15. There were people, he admits, who attempted to discourage him from taking dance up as a career. "But there were also a lot of people who encouraged me, so I took the positive (approach.) "I knew it might take me longer, but little by little I tried, and eventually I got to where I am right now."
While Sok admits to experiencing doubts over the last 12 years in relation to his chosen profession, none of them related to the fact that he was missing a limb. "Sometimes I felt like I lacked inspiration,'' he says. "But I never doubted that I could be a dancer."
Here's an incredible clip of Jean dancing, simply amazing!! :)
You go Jean!
Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour:
Perth Arena, September 18-22, Allphones Arena, Sydney, September 26-29, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, October 2-6, Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, October 10-13.