Our Dancing Chinese Seniors

On a summer evening in Regent Park, I hear Chinese music and discover some twelve to fourteen Chinese seniors at the entrance to our big park. To my surprise, they are dancing. In choreographed harmony, their arms wave gracefully to the melody of the music, while their feet, with perfect synchronization, perform intricate steps and turns to its rhythm. Their outfits match: black T-shirts, black tights or slacks, and short black skirts ending in a ruffle of sparkly red fabric. But what I admire even more than their skill is that each one, enfolded within this collective experience, seems to exude happiness.

After about 45 minutes of non-stop movement, they rush for their water bottles. Their dancing is strenuous exercise, ensuring not only cardio-vascular well-being but flexibility, balance and strength. No wonder these seniors are fit in ways that put many of our Canadian-born seniors to shame! But when I ask why they dance, healthy exercise is not their first reason. Instead, their unanimous answer is: "It makes us happy!"

One elderly lady explains, "When I come here, I feel old, and my body is full of aches – but all that fades away when I dance. I start feeling younger and younger."

"Yes," they agree. "We’re all getting younger.” The eldest, at eighty, is justifiably proud that she can still keep up with the others in their sixties and seventies. Only a couple of newcomers – “the young ones” – are still in their fifties.

The happiness of this group comes, in part, from their flowing movements and the soft evening breezes. The music, too, is soothing, with some songs bringing back memories of their youth, while others have the sentimental lyrics of modern Chinese pop music. But most of all, they are happy because they enjoy each other’s company. They are among peers who speak the same language and share the same background. These dancing friendships sustain them in their new country and create, for some who have no family nearby, a lifeline against loneliness and isolation.

When I ask how this group started, they tell me how several met at a banquet and discovered that they all liked to dance. Guangchang wu, or “plaza dancing,” is in vogue in China. A 2017 estimate of the country’s dancing seniors placed their numbers at a whopping 180 million.* So, despite not having done “plaza dancing” in their home country, they started a group in Regent Park.

The trend in China began in the mid-1990s when the restructuring of state enterprises forced millions of women to retire in their fifties. Since then, the Chinese media has enjoyed reporting on local clashes as the nation’s grannies confiscate parking lots, courtyards, and even basketball courts – and let their music blare. At one point, the Chinese government stepped in with rules and regulated dances, though when the grannies protested, officials downgraded their authorized routines to mere suggestions. Eventually, Chinese entrepreneurs took over, turning the growing market for “plaza dancing” outfits and gear into thriving online businesses.

Our dancing seniors are not affected by these issues. In summer, our park is large enough for multiple activities. And, in winter, the wonderful Alice Ye, who works for the housing authority, books them practice space in one of its buildings. Here, they play their music at a discreet volume.

In Western culture, we are not accustomed to “plaza dancing.” So I ask myself, would I be willing to join these dancers – or would I feel too self-conscious to dance in public? Here in the West, we rarely gather for “make-your-own” performances; instead, we have become consumers of professional entertainment. Rather than being a society of “doers,” we’ve turned into mere “watchers” – and in so doing, have abandoned some valuable opportunities for community. Perhaps that is why, as our Chinese seniors finish their evening of dancing, I feel slightly wistful for what we’ve lost.

* https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/square-dancing-in-china-grows-in-popularity-and-business-opportunity