The Chinese trend of “dancing grannies” threatens to be cut short as authorities clamp down on the public spectacle amid complaints over the practice. The women—usually grandmothers and retirees—have made a ritual of gathering in public squares at twilight to perform synchronized dances to loud music.
Like yoga clubs elsewhere in the world, the practice of “dama” (a Chinese term for older women) has become a way for the grannies to socialize and stay physically active. It is thought have originated in ancient China, and has seen a revival in recent years.
Chinese state news agency Xinhua estimates that as many as 100 million people engage in the square dance throughout China because it is cheap to participate in. Sometimes, the women even wear special outfits and matching props during their performances.
Those who practice dama usually dance to music they listened to while growing up in communist China, and have even brought the practice abroad. Groups of Chinese tourists have been photographed doing the performance around the globe. In 2014, a group of dancing grannies raised a ruckus at Sunset Park in Brooklyn, N.Y, after noise levels from the performance reached deafening levels. To the Chinese, such debacles are rather shameful.
Younger people who work in China’s bustling cities lodged complaints about the excessive noise. The dancing grannies have drawn ire for being a public nuisance to pedestrians just wanting to get around, as they block public areas, including sidewalks and entrances to buildings.
In response to complaints, Chinese authorities in Beijing have introduced fines and penalties for dancing grannies who are found guilty of disturbing public order. The new law, which went into effect Wednesday, is an attempt to regulate how much noise they can produce and prevent them from blocking pedestrian traffic.
Speaking to the BBC, some of the dancing grannies say that they’re confident they’ll be able to abide by the new laws, and look forward to indulging themselves in future performances. The publication says the dama problem is a function of the lack of proper spaces in China designated for the elderly.
Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.