March 25, 2015

"Dancing in public squares represents the collective aspect of Chinese culture, but now it seems that the overenthusiasm of participants has dealt it a harmful blow with disputes over noise and venues."

"So we have to guide it with national standards and regulations," said Liu Guoyong, who heads China's General Administration of Sport’s mass-fitness department.
"That’s ridiculous," said Xiao Kai, 50, taking a break from dancing at an office complex that drew more than 100 women and a smattering of men. "This isn’t a business. Dancing is free and voluntary, so why does the government need to get involved?"...

[China's official news agency] said that in the future public dancing would no longer vary from place to place but would become “a nationally unified, scientifically crafted new activity that brings positive energy to the people.”

[T]he Chinese media frequently lampoon the "dancing grannies"...

"The biggest tragedy is not the square dance by grannies, but the fact that grannies have nothing else to do than square-dance,” [said Xinmin Evening News]. Public dancing in China took root in the 1990s, its ranks fed by the growing legion of women whom the government forces into retirement in their mid-50s....

Asked about noise complaints, one 58-year-old retired public servant threw her head back with a laugh and did a little jig. "The louder the music, the more fun it is," she said....

18 comments:

campy said...

"Dancing is free and voluntary, so why does the government need to get involved?"

Hello? Totalitarians?

tim maguire said...

The reaction in the U.S. would not be much different. We wouldn't have the promise to make it unified country-wide, but we would have police moving in to drive off and/or arrest the unapproved dancers.

Bob Boyd said...

Footroose.

Clyde said...

Some proles unbellyfeel ownlife is doubleplusungood.

Anonymous said...

We had a similar problem in the United States. People were just picking their doctors willy-nilly. We have corrected that.

PB said...

If it's too loud, then you're too old!

traditionalguy said...

Freedom is a barn dance. No foot binding for theses ladies.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

“a nationally unified, scientifically crafted new activity that brings positive energy to the people.”

Don't be a Science Denier!

Lewis Wetzel said...

“a nationally unified, scientifically crafted new activity that brings positive energy to the people.”

Gee, that sounds like mandatory voting!
All hail our glorious Maximum Overlord Obama!

Anonymous said...

we would have police moving in to drive off and/or arrest the unapproved dancers.

Already happened here in Wisconsin, only with unapproved singers instead of dancers.

Known Unknown said...

Bob Boyd expertly beat me to it, but seriously, someone get Kevin Bacon on the phone.

Insufficiently Sensitive said...

"This isn’t a business. Dancing is free and voluntary, so why does the government need to get involved?"...

But... it's the PEOPLES government. The personal is political, don't you remember?

Everything not prohibited shall be compulsory, and don't you forget it.

Jason said...

When the Revolution comes, the Dance Police will be first against the wall.

And then we'll shoot the Juice Box Fascists regulating juice consumption n New York day cares.

Con mucho gusto.

Smilin' Jack said...

Thank God we live in the land of the free:

Americans Arrested for Dancing at the Jefferson Memorial in D.C.

Uploaded on May 29, 2011


A flashmob in Washington has felt the full force of the law, by being forcibly arrested by police - for dancing in public. They'd gathered at the Jefferson Memorial in defiance of a ban on dancing at the monument. Among those held were RT America presenter Adam Kokesh, who says he was slammed to the ground by officers. The ban came in during 2008 when an activist sued police for arresting her for public dancing. The group say they were paying tribute to her as a champion of the First Amendment, guaranteeing freedom, and in response to US District Judge John D. Bates' ruling that denounced dancing on the site.

Sammy Finkelman said...

The Chinese government is probably afraid the dances might be organized by Falun Gong, or somebody else outside the government, and now you have a coherent indepedent civil society group that may oppose the government.

Allen Edwards said...

"All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state." - Benito Mussolini

Meade said...

Circle eight all within the state,

We’ll all have nothing outside the state,

Now knock down Xing and a pick up Wing,

All join hands but not against the state

Now promenade home and do sa do.

Drago said...

madisonfella: "Already happened here in Wisconsin, only with unapproved singers instead of dancers."

LOL

yeah, those poor li'l wisconsinites, fighting valiantly for their rights against a totalitarian communist government.

So much courage in those Wisconsin protesters.

It's like they were standing right in front of Walkers tanks.