THE CLAIM
A video of a classical dancer that is said to be from Shanghai Disney Resort has gone viral on social media and is being widely shared on WhatsApp as well.
The caption shared along with the video claims that the classical dancer is not a living person but rather a robot created by Shanghai Disney.
“The classical dancer in this video is not a real living person but a newly constructed robot! The video, a product of Shanghai Disney, is only a five-minute show but it would take more than four hours queuing up to purchase a ticket which costs 499 yuan per person. The robot is entirely Chinese-made and its technical level has surpassed those of Japan. This video is indeed worthy of watching (sic),” reads the caption.
Many versions of the video were shared on Facebook as well:
THE TRUTH
A reverse search of key frames of the video led to a Malaysian website, which further led to a YouTube video of the same dance performance from 2007.
From the video, it became evident that the dancer was not a robot but a Chinese classical dancer named Qin Xi. Her performance was dubbed ‘Dream in Boudoir’ on YouTube:
While this particular video has gone viral for all the wrong reasons, the fact is Disney does showcase several life-like animatronic characters at its theme parks.
Currently, Disney’s Imagineers, a team that designs theme parks, has developed new robots that can be flung in the air, can perform aerial stunts, and stick their landings, every time. See the video here:
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