Elderly Inner Mongolians warm to square dancing
Print Edition
Beating tambourines and dancing to delightful rhythms, 12 elderly women rehearse a dance routine outdoors for a square dancing competition in Hohhot, capital of northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
“The temperature is minus 10 degrees Celsius, but we feel warm and are full of energy when we are dancing,” said Zhao Yiying, a 60-year-old resident of Hohhot city.
“Dancing properly is a way to battle the cold and helps us to keep fit,” she said.
Square dancing, a form of group dancing in public squares, has become a popular exercise among the elderly in China. It is estimated that more than 120 million Chinese participate regularly in square dancing.
In the past few years, enthusiasm for square dances in Hohhot, which has a population of more than three million, has been growing.
Only 36 groups with about 300 dancers took part in last year’s contest, but more than 100 teams with 1,000 members will do so this year, said organizers of a local square dancing contest on Monday.
Fan Fengying, 67, who used to spend most of her time watching television shows, noticed several benefits after she began attending a community dance group. She also persuaded dozens of her neighbors and friends to dance with her every morning.
“Square dancing helps me to lose weight, get rid of bad habits and create more opportunities to chat with others,” she said.
However, the lack of public space, poor management and noises from square dancers have caused several conflicts.
The local government has taken measures to solve the problems. According to their infrastructure development blueprint, urban authorities plan to build exercise venues that are more accessible to the local residents.
Many sub-district offices and resident committees have turned some offices into venues for dancers and fans of indoor sports.
Local officials have also sponsored properties where elderly residents can dance, and they give out awards to groups who are able to conduct their activities with minimal noise.
“We hope to bring delight to everyone through dancing, so we choose appropriate times and venues to dance,” said Feng Xiuqing, a guide of the Hohhot Spring Square Dancing Group.
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