Out of step: Dancers and neighbors clash

Public dancing is a consequence of China's rapidly aging society, observers say. Although the dancers have emphasized the positive aspects of the pastime, the amplified music they use has led to tensions with neighbors who say they are constantly being subjected to unwanted noise pollution and have taken steps to eradicate it.[Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Wang Baorong, who dances with 200 people aged from 45 to 75 every day from 8 am till noon, echoes that view: "The traditional image of elderly women in China is of people with white hair, a little out of shape, and wearing dark-colored clothing. But now, we are different."

On the weekend of Aug 23 and 24, Wang, 71, decked out in an army-style shirt, shorts and fishnet stockings, participated in a dance competition. "Are old people supposed to sit around and wait for death? No. We still have our beautiful days," she says.

Zhou Yehong, a 44-year-old office worker at a bank in Luohe, Henan province, started dancing in 2006. Examples of her choreography, which she posted online, have been viewed nearly 100 million times. Known as Mei Jiu, which means "Lasting Beauty", Zhou led her team in a performance at a variety show broadcast by China Central Television.

"My husband and daughter were against the dance craze because they thought we were too crazy and spent too much time on it," Zhou says. "But now they are beginning to change their attitudes. I asked them to dance with me and to feel the atmosphere. Chinese da ma have devoted half of their lives to their families and working for the good of society. Why can't we have fun in our own right?"