TheNanfang » dancing grannies

Not Even A Car Can Stand In The Way Of China’s Dancing Grannies

Charles Liu — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 05:32:06 +0000

The dancing grannies will not be denied. As their culture spreads to Australia and Russia, it seems nothing can stop them from fulfilling their desire of dancing in unison to loud musical accompaniment.

So when a car was rudely parked on their ‘dance floor’ in the city of Xinyang, Henan Province, the dancing grannies didn’t want to dance around it. Instead, they decided the car had to go.

And so, under the steely direction of the dancing grannies, a dozen or so people pushed this parked car a total of four to five meters, reports Sina News Video.

READ: Beijing Dancing Grannies Wield AK47s in Anti-Japanese Performance

Mr Guo, the owner of the car, took it all in stride. He accepted the blame and said he was careless parking where he did.

Photo: Sina News Video

Beijing Dancing Grannies Wield AK-47s in Anti-Japanese Performance

Charles Liu — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 08:00:30 +0000

“Dancing grannies”, the hallowed institution of Chinese culture that may be exported to Australia and has appeared in Moscow’s Red Square is under attack. After countless disputes across the country, a law has recently been passed in Xi’an forbidding the notorious dancing troupes from engaging in any “granny dancing” between the hours of 10pm and 7am.

Crackdowns on granny dancing aren’t anything new, but a stalwart troupe of granny dancers in Beijing may be looking to evade any criticism by changing the way they dance. This group has moved away from traditional fan dances and scarf waving seen in plazas around the country, instead turning to that other cultural institution: bashing the Japanese.

A group of dancers was recently seen performing near the Raffle City shopping mall in Dongzhimen, Beijing. There, granny dancers armed with toy AK-47s danced in formation and waved their replica firearms in the air in an activity described as “killing bastards”.

A man carrying a gun and wearing the hat of a 1940s Japanese imperialist soldier served as the focal point for the dancers. According to 163, the man reportedly wore a T-shirt that said “Jap bastard”. As part of the performance, the man dutifully raised his weapon and surrendered.

We can only suppose the off-Broadway dinner theater musical Nanjing! Nanjing! will open next.

Photos: 163

China’s Granny Dancing Invades Moscow’s Red Square

Charles Liu — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 02:58:30 +0000

Guangzhou is trying to get rid of it, Sydney wants it, and now Moscow has it: China’s infamous “dancing grannies”.

Online pictures of a group of Chinese people dancing in Moscow’s Red Square have been compared to similar photos taken at the Louvre in Paris, where the culture of dancing grannies was first seen outside of China. However, in Red Square, China’s ubiquitous line dancing attracted the attention of local police.

As proud as these dancers are, they are primarily known in China for disturbing residents. Sometimes, police say they even cross into illegal behaviour. For instance, authorities in Inner Mongolia arrested 15 people who they claim used public dancing sessions covertly to enroll people into a cult.

We don’t think the grannies in Moscow were plotting anything illegal, but have a look for yourself.

Photos: Ynet

h/t @MissXQ

Video: “Long-Legged Foreign Babe” Takes Lessons From “Dancing Auntie”

Charles Liu — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 08:49:48 +0000

As guests in a foreign place far away from home, we’re often left wondering, “How can we make our hosts feel better? Is there anything that we can do to make them feel more respected?”

Along with providing the usual answers of a) “I’m not from around here, but abroad,” b) “Yes, I can use chopsticks,” and c) “Really,” there’s something else you can do to make your hosts feel more at home: by giving them affirmation.

There aren’t many details to this video as seen on Sina Eyewitness that was apparently taken on a Huangshan Street in Anhui Province. You may just see a local resident teaching a dance to a foreign woman, described here as a “long-legged babe”, but others may see it much more as an affirmation:

So. Never mind that the Chinese woman in the video is dancing the infamous “public plaza line dance”, a type of group dance that middle-aged women flock to perform in public spaces located in residential neighborhoods across China in which they are accompanied by loud music. Never mind that the rise of the “dancing auntie” is a cultural phenomenon that pits the power of a vocal throng against residents who can’t stand it.

And, never mind that an overwhelming majority of Chinese citizens react vehemently against “dancing aunties” and reacted with sarcasm when the mayor of Sydney suggested she import this culture back to Australia. Never mind that chengguan in Beijing were not able to stop dancing aunties from disturbing students leading up to the gaokao examinations, and perhaps as a result, gaokao examinations will be patrolled by armed police in Foshan and Shenzhen schools will enforce a noise ban in its own general areas.

No, none of that matters, because no matter which side of the dancing grannies you’re on, the foreigner is on the opposite side of the dancing auntie itself. So that means that a foreigner that supports any Chinese culture, good or bad or dancing auntie, is by all accounts supporting China.

That does seem a bit reaching, especially for a short video about two people dancing. After all, is there any revealing statement that shows us this affirmation?

Sure there is. Though it lacks any other details about this incident, Sina Eyewitness posted this text at the end of the post:

Netizens have cried out that the dance moves of the auntie has overwhelmed the foreigner babe. Our “public plaza line dance” has now become internationalized!

Affirmed.

Photo: Sina Eyewitness via Weibo

Armed Police to Keep Foshan Gaokao Exams Quiet From Dancing Grannies [UPDATE]

Charles Liu — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:03:01 +0000

Examinations for high school students applying to enter university, colloquially termed the “gaokao”,have recently gotten some unexpected support. A representative for gaokao enrollment for Foshan states that every gaokao examination in the city will be accompanied by armed police officers, reports the Southern Metropolis Daily.

As students take the examination, they will be accompanied by two police officers with guns that will be stationed at every examination room. Furthermore, armed police will patrol the perimeter of the examination sites and investigate anything within a distance of 200 meters.

READ: Student in Guangzhou Stabbed in Throat Just After Completing the Gaokao

This may seem excessive as gaokao examinations can be counted upon to be the most quiet of places that would ever be the site of a disturbance, but that’s actually the point: Police may sent to the gaokao exams for the purpose of preserving the peace, literally.

Over in Fengtai District in Beijing, chengguan had given a written proposal to the “dancing aunties” that dance in a plaza located next to the No.12 Middle School. The chenguan, otherwise known as city management workers with a bad public reputation, had requested the “dancing aunties” stop playing loud music in the square and dancing so as not to disturb the 400 students preparing for the gaokao .

READ: Netizens Outraged as Chengguan Beat Mother in Front of
2 Year-old Child in Guangzhou

The proposal was rejected. The dancing grannies, estimated at two to three hundred strong, continued to dance once the chengguan had left.

“Dancing grannies” have been a formidable force in Chinese society that many residents have taken offense against. “Dancing grannies” are known for disturbing of the public with the loud music played during their dancing, and have come to prominence with a picture of them performing in the square in front of the Louvre.

Locally, the issue of “dancing grannies” had come to light recently when the mayor of Sydney expressed interest in the activity during a visit to Guangzhou, to which an overwhelming majority of Chinese netizens responded with “Take them all, please.”

READ: Mayor of Sydney Interested in Importing China’s “Granny Dancing”

We imagine that armed police will be able to help preserve the peace at a gaokao examination, and perhaps by being armed, police will be able to win any arguments had against “dancing grannies”.

UPDATE 3:30pm, June 5, 2014: It’s become official: Shenzhen has now put noise restrictions upon any area within 500 meters of an examination site during this weekend, and during the upcoming senior high school examinations taking place on June 21 and 22.

While dancing grannies may be affected, the noise ban seems to be more directed at construction sites, putting a RMB 30,000 fine on any site that violates the regulations.

Photos: Xinhua, the Nanfang