Stepping out: elderly Chinese square-dance enthusiasts plan to boost cultural ties with Canada

Elderly Chinese ”damas”, or elderly women, plan to boost interest in their favourite pastime of square dancing abroad this summer after being invited to perform in Canada, mainland media reports.

Tourism officials in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, has asked 30 men and women from Guangzhou, in Guangdong province, to perform the square dance to help celebrate its national day on July 1, the Guangzhou Daily reported on Thursday.

Organisers want to feature Chinese culture during the event as part of efforts to establish closer links between the two countries, an Ottawa Tourism spokesman was quoted as saying.

Two of the most popular songs used for the exercise craze of square dancing – Little Apple and Most Dazzling Folk Style – have been selected for the performance, the report said.

The tourism bureau plans to provide dancers with official invitations to help them with their visa applications, the report said.