Night Dancers

[nightdancechina-blog]

Some of my friends are tea enthusiasts and when we go out, it tends to be to Tea Shops, rather than bars or pubs.  Most tea shops in the city are somewhat secluded, out of sight, or just in quiet neighborhoods.  This appears to add a level of serenity and peace that the soaking of tea leaves often brings.  It was with great surprise, then, that we stumbled upon several dance groups right outside the shop.

The tea shop was located between a major intersection and park, and on a Friday night the owners did not seem to mind the commotion.  Several beats raged on at once and sometimes the dancing even shook the window.  But inside, we remained at peace. Outside, these groups moved furiously to the rhythm.

[nightdancechina-blog]

Several line dancing and square dancing groups gathered even father down Dongwu Road than we had initially anticipated.  Again, a major trend is that dancers like to gather in specific and certain public spaces.  Even though there were at least three groups within 50 meters of one another, they all had different dance styles and forms.  Two of the groups literally danced right next to one another and their music blasted over each other’s tunes.  Yet neither group agreed to back down, move or compromise.

In cases like these, malls and shopping centers have been a very popular meeting spot amongst groups across the city and there are many reasons for this.  Most obvious, the malls are located in focal points of the city and geographically are convenient.  They also offer many conveniences that dancers can utilize before or after their sessions.  But, apparently some of these dancers are given extra encouragement from store owners, who like the idea of crowds gathering nearby.  The store owners will give them discounts, gifts and sometimes even pay dancing groups a “stipend” in order to dance near their shops.

This, however, has not been without a backlash.  There are critics and opponents of Night Dancing, who say that they don’t want it on their doorstep.  Local shopkeepers and residents have complained that the dancing is loud, inconvenient, salacious or even just plain bad.   For every shop keeper that likes to draw crowds, there seems to be one that would just as well not have the controversy or people blocking public traffic.  Some store owners have even paid Night Dancers to move farther away from their location.  In rare cases, bidding wars have broken out over where each dancing group should be positioned. In these specific cases, the groups are all relatively new to the area.  They have not received any gifts or enticement, but this mall is rumored to be run by a few wealthy developers and the dancers are all trying to attract more attention.  In the case of some Night Dancing, it is a commercial activity as much as a cultural or sportive one.

[nightdancechina-blog]

The holiday season is finally here.  Everyone recognizes the importance of May Day; tourists come from across the site to see ancient temples, families come out to shop, and the people get to relax.  Unless they are working to keep the rest of the city going.

It is probably the biggest holiday of the year, besides Lunar New Year.  And Mao’s birthday.  And Independence day.  And World War II day.  And the founding of the CCP.  And Spring Festival.  It is right up there, though.

Whether you consider night dancing work or play, there is no time to rest.  Starting at about 1pm to 10pm, men and women fill the Yangtzee arena.  These groups dance to an eclectic mix of music, but that is not what sets them apart.

What is amazing is the location itself.  This park arena by the river, is one of the most coveted in Zhenjiang.

Known as “Golden Goddess of Luck” park, dancers are watched, but just that.  The golden statue overlooking the park was commissioned in 2005 and cost a whopping 12.5 million renminbi.  The government spared no expenses building a state-of-the art facility around the statue, and it readily encourages people to gather around it.  Many brochures of the city, unsurprisingly, feature this carving as well.

So the chance to dance here, on holidays no less, is sought after.  Performers here have a large audience and many chances to impress people.  Some men and women like to dance in front of a crowd, but others want to be involved in more lucrative performances.  On holidays like this, storefront owners may offer to pay troupes to dance in front of their business.  Government officials may invite groups to perform in public events.  Other citizens, like us, may even publicize these dancers’ work on our own.  Obviously, there are many benefits to a big stage during an important time of the year.

Some people also just like to dance under the statue, they say it soothes them.  Fair enough

[nightdancechina-blog]

Dance Nights

The holiday season is finally here.  Everyone recognizes the importance of May Day; tourists come from across the site to see ancient temples, families come out to shop, and the people get to relax.  Unless they are working to keep the rest of the city going.

It is probably the biggest holiday of the year, besides Lunar New Year.  And Mao’s birthday.  And Independence day.  And World War II day.  And the founding of the CCP.  And Spring Festival.  It is right up there, though.

Whether you consider night dancing work or play, there is no time to rest.  Starting at about 1pm to 10pm, men and women fill the Yangtzee arena.  These groups dance to an eclectic mix of music, but that is not what sets them apart.

 What is amazing is the location itself.  This park arena by the river, is one of the most coveted in Zhenjiang.

Known as “Golden Goddess of Luck” park, dancers are watched, but just that.  The golden statue overlooking the park was commissioned in 2005 and cost a whopping 12.5 million renminbi.  The government spared no expenses building a state-of-the art facility around the statue, and it readily encourages people to gather around it.  Many brochures of the city, unsurprisingly, feature this carving as well.

So the chance to dance here, on holidays no less, is sought after.  Performers here have a large audience and many chances to impress people.  Some men and women like to dance in front of a crowd, but others want to be involved in more lucrative performances.  On holidays like this, storefront owners may offer to pay troupes to dance in front of their business.  Government officials may invite groups to perform in public events.  Other citizens, like us, may even publicize these dancers’ work on our own.  Obviously, there are many benefits to a big stage during an important time of the year.

Some people also just like to dance under the statue, they say it soothes them.  Fair enough.

[nightdancechina-blog]

If real class is live music, then most Bar Mitzvah’s need to up their game. But these Night Dancers are just right.  They brought not one, but two live singers.  These self-styled artists and DJ’s bring their all four nights a week.  Mr. and Ms. Lee (no relation) sing about love, loss and country as their friends and peers move and sway behind them.  The Lees have both spent time in the army and armed forces, but don’t let that fool you.  The structure here is very relaxed and informal.  There are no strict dance numbers and the performances last anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes on any given night.  Sometimes the Lees sing as one, sometimes they alternate, and sometimes only one of them leads the Night Moves.

They play a score of soft rock, heavy punk and smooth romance songs, but they are still practicing and perfecting new material.  Sometimes they play their own music on piano or guitar and sometimes their just Karaoke it.  As such, though, there are regular repeats each week and most dancers will only come out a few times a week to the market square.  These style lends itself to an informal atmosphere; people come and converse, but it’s more of a relaxing societal playground than an in-depth training field.  

“It’s just the way we like it,” Mr Lee, a ten year veteran of the Great Red Army,

“No pressure, no problem.  We’re just living.”

Most dancers are mingling between waltzes, but the free loving atmosphere keeps people on their toes.

“If I hear a song I like then I have to jump in.  If it’s a boring song, I stop,” explained one older performer.  She normally goes to Dongwu to dance with a regular group, but she appreciated the change of pace.

We get the impression that this space is beautifully melded into the community, with the Lees almost a fixture in themselves.  People don’t rely on the regular performances and their certainly do not build their weeks around it.

But if these singers suddenly disappeared there would be a gaping hole.  Here’s to the unsung heroes.

[nightdancechina-blog]

No, these photos are not purposefully artful or designed.  These smooth ballet group purposefully chose a spot right under the neon lights of a used music store.  It was a literal struggle for us to stand and watch them under the flashing glare of the overhead lights.  While taking evidence of them, I had to actually look away on several occasions to refocus my eyes (and tools).  Yet as the group flew and pranced through the air, they thrived.

The key, which is nearly impossible to see here, is that all their eyes are closed.  This group practices a form of what is known as “blind dancing.”  They have practiced for so many years and months that they know each other’s styles and needs flawlessly.  They know when and where to stop, tip, move and turn.  They can feel where to grab and partner, where to let go, and when to simply exhale and rest.  Practicing under such daunting lights keeps them fresh by FORCING them to actually close their eyes.  It is too painful and distracting to dance under these conditions, so the women here must adhere to their form.

Blind dancing, unsurprisingly is a rather rare art form.  It has gained some fashion in Chinese higher education, but on a local level it is very difficult to spread.  It takes massive commitment and patience.  It requires adherents to consistently practice and be willing to train under spots, like this music store, that would otherwise be shunned.  Most people do not notice or recognize such dancers’ efforts and ability.  In a crowded city full of dance groups, people need recognition.  The unfortunate truth is that it is much more likely to come from rambunctious dancers or a large group, than quiet and subtle talent in a haphazardly lit area.

[nightdancechina-blog]

In our quest for art we sometimes, consciously or not, overlook the normal and ‘average’.  As I document these beautiful community of China, it is worth pointing out how many groups that I do not actually record or make extra notes on.  On my daily walks around Chinese cityscapes I see at least half a dozen groups a night.  They vary in styles, performances, ages, gender makeup, time commitment and basic personality.  Like snowmen, no two night-dance groups are the same.  As a reporter, I try to capture the most captivating of these groups.  As a writer I try to express their energy.  And as a human I always try to relate between them and you, the reader of my writing.

This group is operatic line dancing, about 15 minutes from Downtown Central near a mall with an RT Mart inside.  The group practices between 45-60 minutes a night, four nights a week.  They vary between sessions of free dance and 4-6 dances they’ve choreographed over the last two years.  

If I were a scientific writer, there would be nothing remarkable about dancers like Mr. Ma, who brings his new poodle every week so the poodle can play with other dancers’ puppies.  If this was just technical reporting, there would be no need to describe Ms. Lin, whose two-year-old daughter learned to walk because she wanted to join the group.  It would be unnecessary to remark that Mr. Chan has a secret hatred for both the dog and the baby because he just wants people to come for the dancing.  But these are real people with real stories, who deserve to be told.

Reality isn’t always pretty or glamorous.  Like fruit picking, not everything you see is stupendous.  But on it’s whole, Night Dancing is stupendous, just like life.  The veracity of these stories deserves to be read about, especially when I can’t find anything new to write about today.

[nightdancechina-blog]

For a variety of reasons, youth groups are rarely identified with the Nigh Dance Movements across mainland China.  Many of them are kept indoors by their parents, many do not have the same social connections as their elders and a fair share are not interested in public performance. But on Friday and Saturday nights, you can find the Millennial Dancers, if you know where to look.

The first group features a series of tap dancers dressed in European regalia.  I say simply “European” because we have ballerinas, Ukrainian folk dancer, Irish step dancers and even a little Matador in the back.  These children (from ages 6-14) perform irregularly outside one of the most popular coffee shops in the neighborhood in what is ostensibly a live advertisement for a nearby dance school.  But that makes it sound far too mercenary; to the dancers it is simply a recital where their families can proudly watch (and sometimes join in). The tap and step routines are relatively simple: a dance teacher leads the students in different routines and repeats the routine aloud so the younger students can keep track.  She likes to mix the music selection up, playing influences ranging from Kaufman to Pitbull (heard in the accompanying clip).

 She will often repeat a routine a few times to make sure all her students are caught up.  To complicate the dances, she has been known to split up children into several different routines performing simultaneously. Throughout the 45-minute recital, the kids are in the zone.  To them, Night

Dancing is new and exciting, but something to be taken deadly seriously.  We saw one parent try to take her daughter home early and the child actually tried to push her mother aside saying, “No, no.  Now I need to dance.”  From year 86 to 6 it seems that people in China insist on public performance as the form of expression.  

In the latter video, high school teenagers come to Daishikuo park to moonwalk and breakdance to disco and pop music.  Normally they would share the space with many other groups of night dancers, but I suspect that Fridays are more of a cultural “free play”.  Many people choose to practice dancing on their own or switch up groups that they would not normally perform with during the week.  At the same time, there is a large audience of dwarf performers.  They seem to be a veteran travelling group, and their music can be heard across the shopping center.  I have no doubt that it animates and riles up these teens, who appear to thrive on loud music.

While it is refreshing to see a new demographic of Night Dancers, their styles pose some important questions.  To them, night dancing appears to be a more insular club. They prefer the pop music of today and to practice the specific routine they like.  In comparison, older dancers draw from a deep well of musical tastes and adapt their dance styles accordingly.  The older dancers purposefully design their routines so as to accept more members and even pedestrians off the street.  This may be part of a larger “video game culture” trend that undermines younger children’s beliefs.  The youth of today are unable to create the social groups of their grandparents and will be relegated to tighter, insular performances for years.  These are disturbing warning signs for the future of night dancing.

[nightdancechina-blog]

However, the saga does not end with this public display from last episode.  As you might guess, gentrification does not end has the shores of America or Paris, the concept has traveled here as well.

As these fashion models grace the stage of Daishikuo Square, they inevitably kick out the citizens who normally come to dance.  These men and women make it a habit of dancing and mingling right on the spot where the stage has been step up.  And, as frequent readers remember, the dancers here are viciously territorial.  Only yards away from the hoopla, I watched leader Melody seethe as HER stage was taken by dancers with more money and government support.

To Melody and her team, the performers on the stage were no better or more talented than her, they were simply better connected.  They would come here for a night and act like stars, but it was Melody’s crew that did the hard work each day to attract visitors to the park.  It was her team that practiced, and it was members of her team that actually did the daily proletariat labor.  The actors on stage worked a few hours a week and shuttled around from site to site, sponsored by the provincial government.  To her, they deserved much less of the spotlight that she so desperately craved.

So, even as the performance went on, the normally dancers set to dance a protest nearby.  They turned up their music, and these dancing ladies got to work.  They marched left, they marched right, the wove their hands and stomped their feet.  Two feet in, one foot out, two feet forward and one foot back.  They paraded only meters away for the next hour, facing the ensemble of lights and moneyed actors across the park.  

“Hey, Ha, Hey, Ha, we are the dancers.  Hey, Ha, Hey, Ha.  We want our space.”  They chanted slogan after slogan (rhyming better in Chinese, of course) to get their point across.  Even as the show organizers and some police came to talk with Melody throughout the night, they refused to be moved or phased.

You might think that this was a meaningless protest for one night of disturbance.  It was just one night of a showy performance, but the dancers stubbornly held their ground.  “If the government thinks they can do this one night, then they think that they can do this any night,” once woman said.

When I left and returned hours later the show crews were packing up their lights, stage material and costumes.

But the Daishikuo ladies?  Organizing more dances.

For tonight. For themselves.  For the next night.  For the next dancers.

[nightdancechina-blog]

The Daisikuo Dance Park took a new spotlight this Wednesday, when party officials became aware of the increasing popularity of the site.  Government officials scrambled to host their own performance for several hours on the site, including live singers, costumed dancers and several fashion shows.  Show managers rushed to set up seats and attract local camera crews to the site, eager to show off the public event with as much fanfare as possible. “It is obvious, we need to reach all the people,” said an assistant to the Deputy Mayor, “The people come here, so we come here too.”

The performance itself was quite a spectacle; lasting several hours it seemed to include an endless supply of workers and dancers brought on stage for the show.  The organizers shuttled people on cars and buses into this relatively small park for what was, by all accounts, a relatively costly show.  There was a lighting crew, a sound crew and a stage crew.  There were costumes that had to be rushed into the downtown square, and of course, all these performers had to be organized.  It seemed like the performances drew on all the genres from around the city.  There was classic Opera, folk dancing, modern pop, Bollywood pop, line dancing, drummers and spiritual ghost dancers.  We were all very impressed.

Yet, as the show drew to a close, I couldn’t help but wonder if Night Dancing was something different than what I had originally thought.  Some of these recent incidences were not so spontaneous and natural, they were planned and purposeful.  There were specific motives and reasons behind these dances.  How many of these seemingly innocuous sites really have a specific goal in mind? How many of these community events have deeper roots?  Is that a problem?  As always, the search for truth continues.

[nightdancechina-blog]

The Daisikuo Dance Park took a new spotlight this Wednesday, when party officials became aware of the increasing popularity of the site.  Government officials scrambled to host their own performance for several hours on the site, including live singers, costumed dancers and several fashion shows.  Show managers rushed to set up seats and attract local camera crews to the site, eager to show off the public event with as much fanfare as possible. “It is obvious, we need to reach all the people,” said an assistant to the Deputy Mayor, “The people come here, so we come here too.”

The performance itself was quite a spectacle; lasting several hours it seemed to include an endless supply of workers and dancers brought on stage for the show.  The organizers shuttled people on cars and buses into this relatively small park for what was, by all accounts, a relatively costly show.  There was a lighting crew, a sound crew and a stage crew.  There were costumes that had to be rushed into the downtown square, and of course, all these performers had to be organized.  It seemed like the performances drew on all the genres from around the city.  There was classic Opera, folk dancing, modern pop, Bollywood pop, line dancing, drummers and spiritual ghost dancers.  We were all very impressed.

Yet, as the show drew to a close, I couldn’t help but wonder if Night Dancing was something different than what I had originally thought.  Some of these recent incidences were not so spontaneous and natural, they were planned and purposeful.  There were specific motives and reasons behind these dances.  How many of these seemingly innocuous sites really have a specific goal in mind? How many of these community events have deeper roots?  Is that a problem?  As always, the search for truth continues.

[nightdancechina-blog]

The Daisikuo Dance Park took a new spotlight this Wednesday, when party officials became aware of the increasing popularity of the site.  Government officials scrambled to host their own performance for several hours on the site, including live singers, costumed dancers and several fashion shows.  Show managers rushed to set up seats and attract local camera crews to the site, eager to show off the public event with as much fanfare as possible. “It is obvious, we need to reach all the people,” said an assistant to the Deputy Mayor, “The people come here, so we come here too.”

The performance itself was quite a spectacle; lasting several hours it seemed to include an endless supply of workers and dancers brought on stage for the show.  The organizers shuttled people on cars and buses into this relatively small park for what was, by all accounts, a relatively costly show.  There was a lighting crew, a sound crew and a stage crew.  There were costumes that had to be rushed into the downtown square, and of course, all these performers had to be organized.  It seemed like the performances drew on all the genres from around the city.  There was classic Opera, folk dancing, modern pop, Bollywood pop, line dancing, drummers and spiritual ghost dancers.  We were all very impressed.

Yet, as the show drew to a close, I couldn’t help but wonder if Night Dancing was something different than what I had originally thought.  Some of these recent incidences were not so spontaneous and natural, they were planned and purposeful.  There were specific motives and reasons behind these dances.  How many of these seemingly innocuous sites really have a specific goal in mind? How many of these community events have deeper roots?  Is that a problem?  As always, the search for truth continues.

[nightdancechina-blog]

Several line dancing and square dancing groups gathered even father down Dongwu Road than we had initially anticipated.  Again, a major trend is that dancers like to gather in specific and certain public spaces.  Even though there were at least three groups within 50 meters of one another, they all had different dance styles and forms.  Two of the groups literally danced right next to one another and their music blasted over each other’s tunes.  Yet neither group agreed to back down, move or compromise.

In cases like these, malls and shopping centers have been a very popular meeting spot amongst groups across the city and there are many reasons for this.  Most obvious, the malls are located in focal points of the city and geographically are convenient.  They also offer many conveniences that dancers can utilize before or after their sessions.  But, apparently some of these dancers are given extra encouragement from store owners, who like the idea of crowds gathering nearby.  The store owners will give them discounts, gifts and sometimes even pay dancing groups a “stipend” in order to dance near their shops.

This, however, has not been without a backlash.  There are critics and opponents of Night Dancing, who say that they don’t want it on their doorstep.  Local shopkeepers and residents have complained that the dancing is loud, inconvenient, salacious or even just plain bad.   For every shop keeper that likes to draw crowds, there seems to be one that would just as well not have the controversy or people blocking public traffic.  Some store owners have even paid Night Dancers to move farther away from their location.  In rare cases, bidding wars have broken out over where each dancing group should be positioned.

In these specific cases, the groups are all relatively new to the area.  They have not received any gifts or enticement, but this mall is rumored to be run by a few wealthy developers and the dancers are all trying to attract more attention.  In the case of some Night Dancing, it is a commercial activity as much as a cultural or sportive one.

[nightdancechina-blog]

For a few weeks I have been asking around to get more answers about the origins of urban Night Dancing.  Most young Chinese seem perplexed by the question, indifferent to the dancing itself, or even somewhat deny its existence.  The most common answer that I receive is “it’s just something grandparents do.  They like it.”  I assume, of course, that the trend did not start in Zhenjiang specifically, perhaps it even has a more rural origin.  But someone must remember how it caught on in THIS city.  After all, the elderly citizens are not hard wired to dance in specific groups on regularly scheduled nights.

Many of the dancers themselves are unresponsive, or cryptic with my questions.  In fact, when I take pictures of the dances, few of them seem to care or acknowledge me.  I have tentatively secured interviews with a few parents/grandparents of my peers.  Maybe if I have a specific connection to them, I may find dancers who hold the key to the mystery.

Meanwhile, I stumbled upon a reporter for the Jiangsu Press (a loose translation), who said that over the years there have been some provincial dance contests and coverage.  He remembered it being spotty, being covered as a cultural event that people took for granted.  As fate would have it, though, his intern has been scanning old copies of the paper for online archives and he told the intern to be on the lookout for any dance coverage.

Sure enough, they found stand-alone photos from 1980 with a caption that loosely translates to “dancing as one, the ladies of Wuxi remain united”.  The reporter guessed that there may have been some particular upheaval in Jiangsu or Wuxi, as party officials jockeyed for power in a post-Mao era.  He sent me the rest of the scanned paper, but I have yet to translate all of it.  I reached out to a history professor there to get more context.

The important takeaways, however, are that night dancing has been popularized for decades, perhaps even taken for granted by the 1980s.  It was an uncontroversial act to report about, even at a time of extreme political and cultural upheaval.  Furthermore, it was going on in other mid-size cities.  Even one grainy picture has so much to offer us.  If the intern or I can find more pictures we will be able to unlock more of this jigsaw.

[nightdancechina-blog]

Another folk “rock” group rivets the night scene at the “Green Corner”.  This intersection is well known for the gardeners and plant shops by day, and by night many of the shop keepers and nearby residents come out to dance under the stars.

Twist, spin, clap and clap.  Twist, spin, clap and clap.  Two dozen performers whirl back and forth along the intersection, humming the beat as they go.  They are not led by any uniformed leader, there is no dance dictator because everyone knows the beat and routine.  This is one of the faster paced groups we have met so far because these dancers have a few set routines that they like to keep practicing.  In a way, it represents a more settled and sedentary lifestyle.

 These women choose regularity and sameness over the challenges of new genres and choreography.

Several nearby onlookers explained that this group used to experiment and try new styles, but that was before their oldest member passed away.  “[Mrs. Tai] was a real fireball,” one nearby poker player explained, “she was always saying ‘let’s do this’ or ‘let’s do that’.   They shouldn’t try new dances until she is put to rest.”

It goes to show that “all politics are local.”  There is no one way to define Night Dancing or the heterogeneous groups that make up Zhenjiang night life.  It is a collection of the personal stories and, furthermore, the histories of each group.

 There is no way to separate the individuals from the dance movements themselves.

Go softly, Mrs. Tai.

[nightdancechina-blog]

Another folk “rock” group rivets the night scene at the “Green Corner”.  This intersection is well known for the gardeners and plant shops by day, and by night many of the shop keepers and nearby residents come out to dance under the stars.

Twist, spin, clap and clap.  Twist, spin, clap and clap.  Two dozen performers whirl back and forth along the intersection, humming the beat as they go.  They are not led by any uniformed leader, there is no dance dictator because everyone knows the beat and routine.  This is one of the faster paced groups we have met so far because these dancers have a few set routines that they like to keep practicing.  In a way, it represents a more settled and sedentary lifestyle.

 These women choose regularity and sameness over the challenges of new genres and choreography.

Several nearby onlookers explained that this group used to experiment and try new styles, but that was before their oldest member passed away.  “[Mrs. Tai] was a real fireball,” one nearby poker player explained, “she was always saying ‘let’s do this’ or ‘let’s do that’.   They shouldn’t try new dances until she is put to rest.”

It goes to show that “all politics are local.”  There is no one way to define Night Dancing or the heterogeneous groups that make up Zhenjiang night life.  It is a collection of the personal stories and, furthermore, the histories of each group.

 There is no way to separate the individuals from the dance movements themselves.

Go softly, Mrs. Tai.

[nightdancechina-blog]

For a variety of reasons, youth groups are rarely identified with the Nigh Dance Movements across mainland China.  Many of them are kept indoors by their parents, many do not have the same social connections as their elders and a fair share are not interested in public performance. But on Friday and Saturday nights, you can find the Millennial Dancers, if you know where to look. The first group features a series of tap dancers dressed in European regalia.  I say simply “European” because we have ballerinas, Ukrainian folk dancer, Irish step dancers and even a little Matador in the back.  These children (from ages 6-14) perform irregularly outside one of the most popular coffee shops in the neighborhood in what is ostensibly a live advertisement for a nearby dance school.  But that makes it sound far too mercenary; to the dancers it is simply a recital where their families can proudly watch (and sometimes join in). The tap and step routines are relatively simple: a dance teacher leads the students in different routines and repeats the routine aloud so the younger students can keep track.  She likes to mix the music selection up, playing influences ranging from Kaufman to Pitbull (heard in the accompanying clip).  She will often repeat a routine a few times to make sure all her students are caught up.  To complicate the dances, she has been known to split up children into several different routines performing simultaneously.

Throughout the 45-minute recital, the kids are in the zone.  To them, Night Dancing is new and exciting, but something to be taken deadly seriously.  We saw one parent try to take her daughter home early and the child actually tried to push her mother aside saying, “No, no.  Now I need to dance.”  From year 86 to 6 it seems that people in China insist on public performance as the form of expression.  

In the latter video, high school teenagers come to Daishikuo park to moonwalk and breakdance to disco and pop music.  Normally they would share the space with many other groups of night dancers, but I suspect that Fridays are more of a cultural “free play”.  Many people choose to practice dancing on their own or switch up groups that they would not normally perform with during the week.  At the same time, there is a large audience of dwarf performers.  They seem to be a veteran travelling group, and their music can be heard across the shopping center.  I have no doubt that it animates and riles up these teens, who appear to thrive on loud music.

While it is refreshing to see a new demographic of Night Dancers, their styles pose some important questions.  To them, night dancing appears to be a more insular club. They prefer the pop music of today and to practice the specific routine they like.  In comparison, older dancers draw from a deep well of musical tastes and adapt their dance styles accordingly.  The older dancers purposefully design their routines so as to accept more members and even pedestrians off the street.  This may be part of a larger “video game culture” trend that undermines younger children’s beliefs.  The youth of today are unable to create the social groups of their grandparents and will be relegated to tighter, insular performances for years.  

These are disturbing warning signs for the future of night dancing.