Yangge(秧歌)

Yangge(秧歌) is a kind of folk dance accompanied by music with strongly accented rhythms. It is popular in many areas of north China. Nowadays, it is a keep-fit activity. It is especially popular among middle-aged and elderly women. It's Friday and the streets of downtown Beijing are full of activity. The sound of drumbeats and cymbals blare from the sidewalk while thousands of elderly people on street corners dance "Yangge," a traditional dance using brightly colored fans and costumes. In a nearby square, two groups of dancers swing, stamp and work up a sweat as they move to the beat. As the men beat the drums in a little competition to see who does best, the sound they create is deafening. Beijing is definitely ready to drum up its desire for exercise. Since ancient times, yangge has become the trademark sound of energy in motion. People dance yangge, sometimes with folk music, when celebrating festivals, triumphs, anniversaries and at wedding ceremonies. "Today, yangge is more a physical exercise than an art performance," says He Chuan, an expert of local custom and traditional arts in Beijing. Yangge doesn't require expensive instruments and a formal stage. A passerby may just join the group and strut his or her stuff. You can dance for five minutes or five hours. "In a yangge dance, you just stretch out your limbs and and forget about your frustrations by moving to the rhythm of the drumbeats," says Yang Linghua, 67, a regular yangge street dancer. "When you sweat and forget all the troubles in life, you will feel extreme lightheartedness and relaxed both mentally and physically." In fact, yangge has become such a popular form of entertainment among elder people that groups from various districts of the city hold contests regularly. For example, 451 groups of dancers from 18 districts and suburban counties of Beijing participated in the first municipal yangge contest in January 1998. The number of participants topped 16,000. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people, mostly elders, dance yangge regularly in the city.