Current location:International Inklings news portal > politics
Young People Infuse Vibrancy into Chinese Square Dancing
International Inklings news portal2024-05-21 17:49:03【politics】2People have gathered around
IntroductionContact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom
- Home
- News
- People
- In-depth
- ACWF
Young People Infuse Vibrancy into Chinese Square Dancing
November 15, 2023People perform during a popularizing event of square dance in Huanggang, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 8, 2023. [Photo by Du Zixuan/Xinhua] |
WUHAN, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) — Adorned in her elegant dance costume, Wang Xiaolan, the founder of a square dance troupe in central China's Hubei Province, relishes regular practices and gatherings with her fellow dancers.
"Dancing brings me a sense of achievement," the 59-year-old retiree told Xinhua. "It has enriched our lives after retirement."
Over the past five years, Wang's dance group grew from 28 to 38 members, with many younger participants joining in. Currently, the troupe is led by a 22-year-old teacher.
This reflects the broader trend in China, where square dancing gained popularity over a decade ago, transcending age groups and evolving into a more aesthetically-oriented form of physical exercise.
Shu Ying, in her 30s, is a choreographer in Wang's troupe. "I was touched by the passion of the aunties, and I began to understand more about square dancing," she said.
Noting that the standard of square dance is rising and there is a greater diversity of forms, Shu said this dance form is not solely for senior people but for anyone who loves singing and dancing. "It can serve as spiritual sustenance for people, and bring them joy, regardless of their age group."
People perform a square dance for fun after dinner in a community of Jianghan District of Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, April 2, 2020. [Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu] |
The population of Chinese people on the mainland aged 60 or above had reached 264.02 million, including 190.64 million people aged 65 or above, or 13.5 percent of the total population, according to data from the seventh national census released in 2021.
According to Gan Lu, a choreographer with China Oriental Performance Arts Group Co., Ltd, when square dancing started, its initial aim was to cater to the social and physical exercise needs of middle-aged women, particularly those between 46 and 65 years old, including retirees.
While this is still the case, square dancing is gradually incorporating elements of professional dance, local opera and folk music, Gan explained.
For instance, in Jingzhou City which was visited by famous poet Li Bai from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a square dance group of 50 students performed a dance inspired by one of his famous poems. According to Zhou Jing, head of the group, the average age of the dancers was only 20.
"We would like to popularize the dance form in schools and colleges to get more young people involved," she said.
People perform during a popularizing event of square dance in Huanggang, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 8, 2023. [Photo by Du Zixuan/Xinhua] |
In October 2020, a square dance competition was held at the Wuhan University of Bioengineering, attracting as many as 1,000 people. According to netizens, the event "rekindled their appreciation for square dancing."
In a survey conducted by the Hubei Masses Art Center, about two-thirds of the respondents expressed a positive attitude towards square dance, with the strongest support coming from those born in the 1960s and 1990s.
Support from local governments has played a crucial role in popularizing square dance. Governments, from the provincial level to the grassroots, have allocated special funds for training, promotion and performances of square dance. In Hubei alone, with a population exceeding 58 million, there are now over 12,000 square dance troupes, and more than 89 percent of villages have at least one square dance group.
(Source: Xinhua)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Comments
Magazines
Projects
- 2023 Women Science and Technology Innovation Pioneer...
Photos
- People Enjoy Blooming Tulips in Jinan, East...
- Flowers Bloom Across China in Spring
Special Coverage
Address of this article:http://albania.olivelawfirm.net/html-19c199886.html
Very good!(585)
Related articles
- Trump accepts a VP debate but wants it on Fox News. Harris has already said yes to CBS
- Foreign businessmen seek new opportunities at Canton Fair
- Bo Bichette has 3
- Australia and Papua New Guinea leaders trek toward WWII South Pacific battleground
- Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
- Lady Amelia Windsor wows in lace slip dress as she attends Earth Day dinner in London
- Small Chinese town goes big with magic of animation
- Feature: 69 years on, the Bandung Spirit remains alive in the Global South
- Kosovo prepares a new draft law on renting prison cells to Denmark after the first proposal failed
- Is Hayley Atwell pregnant? Tom Cruise's ex, 42, cradles her tummy during romantic Venetian mini
Popular articles
- Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. to lead Indianapolis 500 field in Corvette pace car
- Skubal has 9 strikeouts in 6 innings, Canha and Meadows homer as Tigers beat Rays 7
- Israeli military intelligence chief resigns over failure to prevent Hamas attack
- 'Openly Jewish' charity chief says Met boss Mark Rowley has 'failed abjectly' to stand up for Jews
Recommended
Fresh heartache for cancer
Tennessee's governor says Volkswagen workers made a mistake in UAW union vote
MLB players' union asks court to confirm arbitration decision against Bad Bunny firm
China, U.S. make preparations to send a pair of giant pandas to San Francisco Zoo in 2025
College baseball notebook: Conference tournaments to decide NCAA automatic bids and many at
Fury over 'rip
Antiques Roadshow guest shocked at stunning five
Bo Bichette has 3
Links
- Childhood friend asks for help to solve mystery death of 'caring and loving' mother
- Nuclear war expert reveals what would really happen after an atomic blast
- Juan Soto says he's open to in
- Has VAR broken the beautiful game? The hated technology's SIX biggest blunders, as fed
- Man kills 2 officers at police station in Malaysia in a suspected Jemaah Islamiyah attack
- China rolls out new measures to fix its property crisis, spur growth
- The millennials taking over 'pensioner paradises': How 'Down From Londons' and under
- Grandmother, 80, is rushed to hospital with severe dehydration after drinking Devon's dirty water
- Revealed: Reservoir 'at heart of' Devon crisis that's left 40,000 homes with undrinkable water
- Scientists discover a NEW weight loss shot that could burn twice as much fat as Ozempic