Middle-aged Beijingers line up with Hong Kong children in Irish dance contest
Next stop Europe for the Rainbow Troupe from Chinese capital after they win medals in the first dance championships they entered
Wang Weidong works long hours during the week advising clients wanting to invest in global stock markets. It helps that the middle-aged Beijinger is extremely fit thanks to an unlikely weekend hobby that he took up two years ago: Irish dancing.
“I am in pretty good shape for a 50-year-old because there are endless health benefits to Irish dance. It trains my stamina, improves my muscle strength and even my brains,” says Wang, whose goal is to dance till he is 80.
Wang was among eight dancers from the Chinese capital, collectively known as the Rainbow Troupe, who participated in last weekend’s 5th International Feis and Championships held in Hong Kong at King George V School in Ho Man Tin.
They might not be as young as most of the other contestants, who were either children or teenagers, but their footwork and lively steps were no less impressive. He Yingxian was awarded two bronzes and a silver for her performances.
Members of the Rainbow Troupe come from different walks of life but all say they fell in love with the art form after watching Riverdance, a live production that is staged annually in Beijing.
