While a good way to exercise and have fun, some dance partners take their chemistry beyond the ballroom. Photo: IC

By Josie Zhang

Every morning Fuxing Park resembles a scene from Jane Austen. As music plays elderly couples elegantly waltz around the park. In the afternoon and evening, inside nondescript buildings, these couples continue fox-trotting in gaudy dance halls.

Before 1986, only a small number of people in Shanghai and Guangzhou knew how to dance. In old Shanghai businessmen and officers stationed here introduced Fred Astaire-styled ballroom dancing to the city. Later during the 20th century ballroom dancing's popularity waned and it wasn't until November 1986 that Japan, aiming to improve relations with China, proposed the idea of a Sino-Japanese International Standard Ballroom Dancing (ISBD) competition.

The initial competition was postponed because of organizational problems. However the first Chinese ISBD competition was held in May, 1987, attracting over 200 pairs of dancers, mainly from Guangzhou and Beijing. The professional Chinese dancers simplified ISBD, integrating elements from folk dancing. Eventually a Chinese-style ballroom dancing developed and quickly spread. A Chinese version of Dancing with the Stars which aired in February 2006 in Shanghai was a ratings success and bought more exposure to Chinese ballroom dancing.

For some dancing is a way to rekindle their passion for life; yet some become so entranced by the garish world of ballroom dancing that it can devastate their lives.

More than a dance

Ballroom dancing is more than a form of recreation for many of Shanghai's older generation. It is their way of enjoying life and realizing unfulfilled dreams. For outsiders, it is difficult to understand how dancing has become so central to their life and how it generated such relentless passion and devotion.

"I started dancing in 1997 when I was on sick leave. I didn't want to stay on bed all day long. So I went outside for a walk and saw people dancing in the parks. I picked up the steps quickly because I used to do folk dancing," Wu, a retired community worker, told the Global Times. Wu, who lives in Hongkou district, has to take two buses to her favorite dance hall in Pudong. "I love to buy the latest dancing costumes and shoes even if they are expensive for me. But the shop I went to has relocated and I don't know where it is now."

Some middle-aged dancers' mix-and-match fashion senses is quite unique. For price-conscious female dancers, the South Bund Fabric Market is the best place for their original designs to come to life. The fabric market on Qipu Road is also a good place for cheap dancing attire.

For ordinary people like Wu, ballroom dancing is a chance to reclaim lost youth. They were the educated youth who answered Chairman Mao's call to develop China's rural areas. Wu was sent to Anhui Province in 1970 and spent seven years there. The hardship was unimaginable yet she came back a survivor. Liu was sent to Zhejiang Province in 1968 and later went to Australia. "I don't have much time left. I just want to enjoy my life and do whatever I want," Liu said.

Quick, Quick, Slow, a comedy about middle-aged and retired people taking part in a dance competition, brought Wu and Liu together. Both auditioned for the film and were hired as extras. Wu was ecstatic when she saw herself on the big screen. Liu, who always dresses in a suit and pair of aviator sunglasses, rode his scooter from Fuxing Park to different dance halls to give out flyers to promote the film as it didn't have spare money for promotion. They asked for nothing - what motivated them was a passion for dance and more importantly, a passion for a better life.

A common sight all over China, ballroom dancing is now taking over tai chi as the morning exercises choice for the elderly. Photos: CFP

Not strictly ballroom

In Shanghai some deem it inappropriate for a middle-aged housewife to frequent dance halls to spend time with other men. Wu was troubled by this kind of gossip, but her husband's support was her biggest asset. "At first, my husband was a little concerned about me dancing. We had discussions. Later, it was OK with him. He trusts me. If I am out dancing and have no time to take care of the housework, he will do it."

However not all dancers are as loyal as Wu. A middle-aged man surnamed Wang, who has researched the dance phenomenon in Shanghai, told the Global Times: "People who dance in the park do not go to dance halls. They think those who frequent the dance halls are in an entirely different league. Dance halls are nasty places."

In some dance halls, sessions last around two hours. During those two hours, except for regular dance routines, there are stolen kisses. When the lights are dimmed, dance partners can do whatever they want. Wang nicknamed it the "Momo Routine," which means touch, touch.

"People have different motives for dancing; for me, it's good for my health and it helps me present myself to others in a confident and elegant manner. Some people use dancing as an excuse to hang out with their lovers," said 59-year-old dancing enthusiast Liu.

Dance hall regular Liang has seen much of the seedy side of ballroom dancing. "There are a certain group of people in dance halls. Their job is to spot good-looking and single dancers and introduce them to other dancers as partners. If the two work out, they will buy these people dinner," Liang said.

She referred to them as the pimps of the dance halls. "Some middle-aged women, who are unemployed, will hook up with well-groomed men over 60 at dance halls. The man takes advantage of the woman while dancing. As reward, he might buy her a snack or something. That's the end of it. These old guys are smart people. They are not sugar daddies."

Yang, retired and living in Shanghai, knows of several extramarital affairs brought about by ballroom dancing. She used to be a kindergarten teacher and the kindergarten she worked for had a dance hall. Part of Yang's job was to sell tickets and put on music for the dancers. Yang told the Global Times of one strange romance that began in her dance hall (the names of those involved have been changed).

Yang met Mrs Li because her daughter was in her class and Mrs Li went to the dance hall frequently. Mrs Li was an elementary school music teacher while her husband Mr Wang was a successful businessman. Most of the time Mr Wang was busy, which made Mrs Li a comfortable but lonely housewife.

When dancing Mrs Li had several partners. Then she met Mr Liu, a math teacher in a junior high school. "I saw them dancing together when I was doing my shift. They usually did three-step or four-step dancing," Yang said. Later, Mrs Li divorced Mr Wang and Mr Liu divorced his wife Mrs Huang, a driver in an ice cream company.

Li and Liu were married. Mr Liu had custody of his daughter and Mr Wang won custody of his son. "His son ran away from school quite often when the affair happened," Yang said. "The kids were the ones who suffered most."

After Li and Liu's whirlwind romance, Wang and Huang also tied the knot.

Yang had another connection to the lovers. "My husband was then a director for the ice cream company. Huang was driving for my husband. Sometimes she would drive my family and constantly complained about what a miserable life she had. After Huang's divorce, she went to visit Wang and Wang sympathized with her. They felt connected because they were both hurt. He bought a nice apartment for her. He is a millionaire after all," Yang said.

"I am a traditional person, and not in favor of ballroom dancing. I have seen three to four couples doing this. Usually the wives don't go out for dancing. I never dance; even if I can go dancing for free. My daughter shouldn't go dancing either. It is not good," Yang said.

"I heard the story from my mother, it was quite dramatic and had a happy ending. Ballroom dancing is a way for people to have fun and exercise. But when people are going through a mid-life crisis dancing becomes an excuse for them to cross the line. People change. Dancing is about holding hands, deep gazes and passion, which leads to intimacy. They should resist the temptation and keep their impulses in check," Yang's daughter Ge said.

"If those dancers have fixed dancing partners and one side does not have a healthy family life, extramarital affairs will happen. Actually it happens a lot," Liang said.

Ballroom blitz

In parks, dancing halls, green areas and open spaces across Shanghai, dancers, despite their age, are swinging their hips. There are estimated 240 million people between the ages of 50 and 70 in China. Every morning, millions of people in this age group go dancing or do morning exercises in parks around the country.

Fuxing Park, located in Luwan district, in the former French Concession, is home to Shanghai's hottest night clubs, bars and karaoke rooms. In the morning, the middle-aged and elderly from districts all over Shanghai can be seen dancing the morning away.

Much bigger than Fuxing Park, Lu Xun Park, named after the founder of modern Chinese literature, in Hongkou district, is another popular location for dancers. The park has many open areas for Shanghai's older set to dance in large numbers. Other parks where you can find seniors swapping tai chi for the cha cha include Zhongshan, Xiangyang and Jing'an and Shanghai Sculpture Park on Beijing Road West.

As for dance halls, Paramount Hall on Huashan Road is one of the most prestigious dance halls in Shanghai. In colonial days it was the place to be seen. Baiyulan Dancing Hall, Hongbaoshi Dancing Hall, Jinguo Garden are also quite popular among older dancers.

Dancing in community centers is another option especially as more and more communities have well-equipped dancing facilities.

On warm nights, it is also possible to see people dancing in the open space in front of Dongchang Road Station on Line 2. Open spaces on Nanjing Road East and out the front of the Shanghai Exhibition Center are also good locations to spot Shanghai's  older set showing off their dance moves.