Story By: Les Steed, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
A blind woman has become an online sensation after a video of her dancing to a street artist’s performance of ‘Hallelujah’ during lockdown was widely shared on the internet.
The magical moment was captured as street performer Noah Waldorf, 23, risked a fine to perform at Piazza Castello in the Italian city of Turin on 1st November while Italy was still in lockdown.
The video shows Mr Waldorf playing ‘Hallelujah’ as a woman holding a cane starts dancing while using a column as support.
The moment happened just days after police fired teargas on angry crowds who were protesting the latest round of anti-coronavirus restrictions in the city.
Mr Waldorf, whose real name is Francesco Santise, told Newsflash he was surprised that the video was so popular among netizens.
He said: “I’ve been playing in the street for eight years.
“I didn’t know the woman until she came to me just to listen because she was attracted by my voice, and then she started to dance.
“The beauty of that day, it was forbidden street art because of the virus. I went against the law, but nonetheless, I played and this magic happened.
“I perform in Italy. This year I wanted to go around Europe, but I could not go anywhere because of the pandemic.”
On the guitarist’s Instagram post, Mr Waldorf admitted risking a fine after the municipal order to not create an assembly.
He wrote that he was encouraged to perform anyway because “I felt that something good was going to happen” and followed his gut instinct.
He wrote: “While I was singing ‘Nothing Compares To You’, this blind woman approaches, attracted by the music. She leans on the wall to listen to me a little bit, starts asking me several questions.
“In this disastrous year, 2020, a blind woman finds the strength to dance alone in the street. What are we waiting for to be happy?”
Since going viral, local Italian news outlet Quotidiano Piemontese called the woman’s dancing a “significant message of hope in this very difficult period”.
