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Ah China, where the keys to longevity are early morning Tai Chi, the ancient healing art of acupuncture and hip-hop dancing. *Sound of needle scratching across record*
Hold up! Hip-Hop dancing? Absolutely! You see Wu Ying, now 70, discovered hip hop music and dancing in 2003 while watching a dance competition. Wu was immediately hooked. She started teaching hip-hop dancing in the gym and then took it to the next level.
Wu then had a vision that she and a bunch of other older ladies would get together and form a hip-hop dance troupe. Wu not only taught the moves, but encouraged all the participants to get down with the freeing attitude at the heart of all the best of hip-hop. Now, with the youngest member aged 45, these 30-odd rap-dancing retirees have performed all over China and collected dozens of awards shaking their booties to the beats and baselines of hip-hop.
See these Hip-Hop Grannies for yourself. ...
To fulfill her dreams, Wu Ying had to push back against her own kids who were embarrassed and critical of her at first.
Wu's family could have been a bit more supportive in the beginning, she said, especially her daughter.
"She said, 'This is just great. There are a bunch of young hooligans dancing on the streets out there, now I have an old hooligan dancing in my own household.' The way she said those words was very hard for me to accept. It was so condescending," Wu said.
But with but with a neck pop and a snap of the fingers, Wu just kept on. She told them to mind their own business and just kept on doing her thing. And now some of her hard stepping senior dance mates believe they've discovered the secret to a healthy life:
Chen Guobi, the 66-year-old leader of the dance group, says hip-hop's rhythms have kept her own in check, and she has not seen a doctor in years.
"I did hip-hop for two years and didn't need any more medication, never went to the hospital and now I don't even know where hospitals are," she said.
And guess what Wu's next ambition is? She wants to be a rapper. Don't bet against her.
Comments: (6)
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By: Cocoa Delight on 8/22/2008 9:40AM
Thanks for that delightful post. Truly inspirational to believe you're never too old!
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By: smalllady on 8/23/2008 9:36AM
Well go on with your badselves aint nothing wrong with that!
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By: Nina on 8/23/2008 8:16PM
Well I happen to find these grannies offensive, The way they were dressed, not the dancing. I did not like how the percieved black people to be. Hip Hop in all actuality is from the black community. Now this shows me more clearly how the majority of Asians see us. I thought it was ignorant. At least add your own style. But then again African Americans are clearly not opening their eyes up to what's going on out here. Not all but the there are many.
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By: chic on 8/23/2008 4:40PM
These ladies were on the Today show. Am I the only one who noticed one of the grannies dancing was wearing an afro wig with rollers in it? I was shocked and I know that had to make Al Roker feel really comfortable.
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By: Q on 8/23/2008 10:19PM
I think it's great! There's too much discrimination in regards to age these days. It should not matter what age someone is, if they enjoy dancing and a particular type of music...go for it!
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By: Tru on 9/07/2008 10:32PM
Is this a joke? She has not seen a doctor in years because of hip- hop and now doesn't even know where the hospitals are? This sounds like a mess. It seems unreal to me. She said when she was young the only form of excerise she had was to stretch against a wall? This isrediculous! How about jog around the block or dance around the house. I am done with the "Hip Hop Saved me" stories. This seems like a made up money making scheme to me.
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