JIAMUSI: Hundreds of dancers twirl in unison by a riverside in northeastern China, thrusting hips and shimmying shoulders in an unusual but beloved routine that has taken the country by storm.
China has a vibrant public square dancing culture, with ranks of retirees thronging city plazas at dawn and dusk to groove in time to thumping electronic music.
Despite the occasional noise complaints, authorities generally view the aerobics gatherings as good for maintaining public health in a rapidly ageing society.
And one of the country’s most popular dance programmes in recent years has emerged from the fading rust-belt province of Heilongjiang.
Participants in Jiamusi Happy Dancing perform a series of unconventional moves, from strutting with puffed-out chests to pinwheeling their arms.
Founder Yu Jicheng, 73, said the exercises stand out for their “focus on the waist, abdomen … shoulders and hips”.
“They’re all done on the move, unlike the sedentary routines broadcast on the radio,” the retired civil servant told AFP.