Dancing grannies regulated by Chinese government

At dawn and dusk senior women pack public spaces and parks to join together in outdoor dancing in Chinese cities.  The practice, however, has come under criticism by the Chinese government, as well as complaints by some that the music is annoying and disturbs others in adjacent areas. Participants view the activity as a social interaction and way to connect and make new friends.

Complaints from local residents ranged from the music being loud and “raucous” to dancers crowding popular sites creating a nuisance. Reports noted that some were so annoyed the attempted to block public areas with no parking barriers and even dumped excrement on the dancing grannies.

Government officials ever eager to control citizens at first wanted to stop the dancing completely but recognized the popularity of the practice and decided to intervene and regulate the dances, rather than eliminate them, according to a report by CNN.

China's General Administration of Sports and Ministry of Culture is going to regulate the dances and set the dances to “appropriate songs that the grannies must now pick up and learn if they want to continue shimmying their way through public spaces,” they said.  

"From today, public dances will no longer vary by neighborhood, but will become nationally unified," state media reported.

The dances, choreographed by experts and accompanied by government-sanctioned pop songs, will be taught to the public by more than 600 approved trainers over the next few months.

Freedom of expression by Chinese elders is being squashed by the government in their continuing effort to control the culture of the Chinese people. “State approved” are the watch words if one is a Chinese citizen.

Social researchers know that forming relationships in the elder years is one of the best ways to ensure longevity.  In the book “The Blue Zone,” the author visited four places on the globe where many people live to be over 100 years old and one of those countries was Okinawa.

The Okinawan tradition of forming a moai, or a gathering of people, provides secure social networks. These safety nets lend financial and emotional support in times of need and give all of their members the stress-shedding security of knowing that there is always someone there for them.

A common denominator in Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Loma Linda, California, and Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica was that people of all ages are socially active and integrated into their communities.

As populations around the globe are aging, activities—whether public or private—will become more prolific as seniors are living longer and healthier lives.  It behooves countries like China with an eager and creative elder population to allow them the freedom and social access to group activities that are profoundly popular and positive. 

Resources
http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/25/news/china-dancing-grandmas/
http://travel.cnn.com/shanghai/life/dancing-park-national-hobby-china-851895?iid=EL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54nHaFyCS18

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