Chinese square dancing to face the music
Authorities try to keep elderly dancers happy but want them to tone it down a bit
Chinese authorities have rolled out 12 choreographed fitness dances in an effort to regulate and promote square-dancing – the mass collective dancing to loud music in parks and squares, so popular with older women but the bane of their neighbours’ existence.
The dances were introduced to the public at a news conference held by the State General Administration of Sports (CAS) and the Ministry of Culture on Monday.
The music accompanying the dances includes popular hit songs Little Apple and The Coolest Ethnic Trend. Both songs were aired on this year’s CCTV Lunar New Year’s Gala.
Liu Guoyong, who heads the Sport for All department at CAS, said the policies were intended to regulate square-dancing so the women can enjoy their otherwise healthy pastime without disturbing nearby residents.
The loud music that accompanies square-dancing has been a frequent target of complaints by city residents across China. Confrontations between dancers and residents – or even among rival groups of dancers – are often heated and ocassionally violent.
Dancing in public is not new in China, and the sometimes boisterous square dance shows no sign of diminishing as China’s population ages.