Night Dancing?

Most of us dance at Night. There has never been a law against dancing in the daytime. So why? Even in the evening, dancing is stratified into three different kinds. The Tea Dances have been from about five in the evening to about 8 or 9 in the evening. Regular social dancing has usually been between 7 to 10 or 11 pm. And then the young Salsa dancers are usually in line before eleven and go until the wee hours.

"We should never waste our time trying to explain who we are to people

who are committed to misunderstanding us."

AM Ballroom Dancing, which is also called Jiaoyiwu in Chinese, literally

meaning “Friendship Exchange Dancing” has been enjoying an

increasing popularity in today's China.

Unlike the English term, ballroom dancing in China has nothing to do with the place where people dance. In addition to ballrooms, many Beijing local people also dance in public places, especially in the summer. Whether it's early in the morning or at dusk, many people are seen strutting their stuff in  parking lots, parks or squares, and it has become a unique scene in Beijing as well as in other cities in China. Usually there is an organizer who brings along a huge ghetto-blaster, in goes a disk, and everyone is dancing under one or two good dancers' teaching or guidance.

"Wheel Of Fortune" by Kay Starr

According to Fu Yujun, who hosts a TV series teaching ballroom dancing, it's estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 people go ballroom dancing in Beijing. They range from 4 year old toddlers to people over 80. And ballroom dancing is a major activity in the nation-wide fitness campaign. People like it because they can both relax and build a strong body, all to the sound of beautiful music.

"Mister Sandman" by the Chordettes

Although it seems that most of the dancers practice in public places, like parks and squares, there are still many ballrooms in Beijing as well. Take Beijing Youth Palace for instance. In the past, it was a bit pricey, and oriented to those who earned higher wages. But two years ago, the ballroom slashed the ticket prices and changed its policy in favor of ordinary people and now it gets packed.