As a troupe of 17 girls performed a synchronized dance routine inspired by the process of making oat flour kaolaolao, one of Shanxi province's iconic noodle dishes, the audience would be hard pressed to believe that not one of them could hear the music they were dancing to. The group of deaf dancers captivated audiences and won a prestigious Star Award at the 20th National Excellent Mass Art Works Exhibition and the Star Awards ceremony in Chongqing on Nov 4.

The Star Award, established by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is the highest honor in Chinese mass culture at the community level. Out of thousands of entries, the girls' dance, Steaming Happiness, stood out for its unique Shanxi regional flavor and the extraordinary dedication of its performers.

"We felt like we were groping in the dark, finally reaching for the light," said 14-year-old Liu Yuxin, one of the dancers. Suffering from eardrum damage since childhood, she struggled to grasp musical rhythms.

"I have to keep my eyes glued to our teachers' instructions, engraving every gesture in my heart," she said.