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Not just for aunties? China’s hottest square dance instructor is only five years old

Dailan Jingyi picked up square dancing only months ago and is already leading adults in the hobby every evening

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Five-year-old Dailan Jingyi leads her square dancers in Chongqing. Photo: Handout
Kristin Huang

A five-year-old dance enthusiast in southwestern China has found herself many new fans after a video of her leading a team of adult square dancers went viral on Chinese social media.

The kindergartner, Dailan Jingyi, has been leading the square dancers in Chongqing’s Shapingba district since last November, according to Xinhua news agency.

A video of the girl square dancing, posted on Global Times’ Weibo account, has garnered some 10,000 likes, thousands of shares, and has been re-circulated elsewhere on social media platforms in China and abroad.

Dailan learnt to square dance just two months before that but picked up the moves very quickly, the report said.

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The district’s lead square dancer, Hong Shuangshuang, who is in her 40s, quickly spotted Dailan’s gift for dancing and took her under her wing for training before letting the girl join her in leading her square dances, according to the report.

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Dailan now leads her group of adult square dancers, shimmying to more than 20 songs for an hour and a half at 7.30pm every evening if the weather permits.

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