A Piece of Asian Culture

If you’ve ever visited Chinatown early at dusk or during a late evening stroll, you might have seen groups of Asian aunties dancing together to Chinese traditional music. To the hundreds of elderly women living in Chinatown, GuangChangWu dancing has become a staple of their culture, a way to make friends and get in their daily exercise. Just before the sun rises above the horizon, scores of older asian women, known as “Dancing Grannies,” are out in parks, choreographing dances and managing troops. Groups of dancing grannies can range from several dozen, to hundreds of people of all ages dancing. It’s more than just an evening hobby, it’s a celebration of Asian culture and the unification of dancing. “Dancing is an all-age exercise, and it was proposed as a way for the elderly to be happy, to learn something and to contribute to the university,” said an anonymous auntie from ChongQing, who shared her experience dancing at a community college for elderly people. 

But GuangChangWu dancing also provides other benefits: the companionship with other elders and the relief of stress from the busy hustle of their work lives. In fact, for many elderly women, GuangChangWu dancing is their main source of companionship. Many spend their free time dancing to relieve themselves from the stresses of family members, finances and their occupations. Dancing has also been shown to lower signs of depression, which for the Asian elderly community, has been an alternative to seeing mental health professionals. Asian elders, particularly in some cultures, may be reluctant in seeking mental health professionals due to the stigma and shame that mental health carries, where it’s thought as a source of personal failure and burden for their family. Instead, they turn to dancing. Wendy Sui came to the states back in 1971 and has been dancing for over a decade. For her, it’s a way to relieve stress and spend time with her friends. “I was a seamstress–and later an accountant—working day and night, and I just needed to get out of that environment,” Sui said. “Chinatown is a familiar sight to me, and I began to do this activity because it made me feel closer to people.”

It can be difficult for older women to make friends, develop social skills, and continue adjusting to a new country. However, dancing with older women similar to themselves allows them to form close connections and friendships. With their limited English proficiency, dancing in Chinatown allows them to speak the same dialect and communicate comfortably with other dancers. 

The dancers are most commonly made up of elderly women, dancing early in the mornings and late in the evenings, in neighborhoods, parks, and squares. Nowadays, GuangChangWu dancing includes people of all ages, men and women. While many different songs are played when square dancing, some common ones include ‘Little Apple’ and ‘The Coolest Ethnic Trend’ and other modern songs. Props are also used when dancing. Elderly women commonly wear fans, waist drums, oil-paper umbrellas, water sleeves, and handkerchiefs. When square dancing, the dancers mostly just wear whatever they were wearing during their day job, or casual outdoor outfits, but during performances, they put on their costumes. Performing costumes include color-coordinated dresses, folk costumes, and military uniforms. There are also many different types of dances performed by elderly women all across the U.S., such as free dance, ballroom dance, battle dance and others. In Chinatown, free dancing is commonly performed. 

The Origins of GuangChangWu

GuangChangWu originated in China, where it first became popular by elders dancing in parks and public squares. GuangChangWu translates literally to “public square dancing.” Today, in China there are estimated to be about 100 million people participating in public square dancing. All across the country, loud pumping music, “left, left, right, right,” directions can be heard, with coordinated groups of elders dancing together. In China, all different types of music can be heard from passersby, with fast paced hip hop beats played and favored by the younger generation, and slow paced Chinese traditional music favored by ladies in their ’50s and ’60s.’ In both the U.S. and China, music can be heard late into the night, with passersby recalling dancers on the street as late as 11 p.m. But regardless where GuangChangWu is held, it’s a community for dancers to form a sense of belonging.

“When we retire, and the kids leave home, there often isn’t that much left to do. The women I’ve talked with about square dancing can talk endlessly about the connection and sense of belonging they get when they join a dance troupe,” said an anonymous dancer whom I interviewed. “In my opinion, square dance is a reproduction of beauty. More and more women show their beauty by dancing square dance, and the emergence of short videos gives them an opportunity,” she said. Dancing is a way for these elderly women to express themselves. 

However today, as Guangchangwu becomes increasingly popular in Chinatown and China, some people have complained about the noisiness of the elderly women dancing. The upbeat songs and large waves of people dancing in parks, streets, and neighborhoods have been the cause of a number of complaints around the city. Especially during early morning and late evening in residential areas, people have often complained about the loud music. Neighbors and citizens objected, and sometimes, in extreme ways. Objects have been thrown at the dancers and dogs have been used to deter them, and in response to this, authorities have tried to take action. The addition of noise control settings, designating specific areas for dancing, and legal changes have been added to curb noise pollution. 

Dances from Squares to Festivals 

Today in Chinatown, community or large festivals are being held where these dancing grannies show off their moves as traditional music plays. Groups of dancers, wave their arms, stomp their feet to the beats and sing along to the traditional songs. Festivals, such as the popular Chinese Lunar New Year Festival are held every year from January to February, where dancers in coordinated matching outfits perform together in groups and these dancing grannies show off what they’ve been practicing all year. They may also be seen at local community events, gatherings and at small festivals. 

In China, national dance competitions have also been held for elderly dancers, where the most skilled dancers move onto the national stage to perform. Unlike traditional dance competitions where professional judges vote for the best dancers, the general public votes for their favorite groups. Afterwards, the groups will have the chance to perform at China’s National Games, for their spins, jumps and twirls to be displayed. 

But while hundreds of thousands of dancing grannies all over the globe participate yearly in national dance competitions, in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown, many simply participate in GuangChangWu just to dance. Dancing grannies dance for reasons beyond exercise, their health, socializing, and to express themselves and their culture. They also dance simply to dance, to dance for themselves, as a hobby, and to enjoy themselves in their free time. The next time you walk past or visit Chinatown in Manhattan, try visiting Chinatown’s many plazas, parks, and squares. There, you might see a group of elderly dancers amidst a dance routine. And if you do, you might just want to put your bags down for a moment, and join in the festivities, and become part of an inspiring, powerful dance community, known as the Dancing Grannies.

“In my opinion, square dance is a reproduction of beauty. More and more women show their beauty by dancing square dance, and the emergence of short videos gives them an opportunity.”