The School Disco

At the Imperial Palace of the Ming Dynasty on Yudao Jie people gather daily and pay 1 kwai (10p) to dance with each other. I had always wanted to go into the “dance arena” but had always been a bit nervous and knew that it would register very high on the “stare-ometer” but today I bit the bullet and went in.

They tried to charge me 1 kwai but I said I was only going to look not dance and they waved me in. The first obstacle to negotiate was a row of about 10 people sitting against the fence watching the dancers, all of them fanning themselves and chatting…. well I say “chatting”, they were chatting before they saw me. They then all stopped chatting and stared at me walking past. But they were friendly stares breaking into smiles and nods.

I looked for a bench in the shade under a tree but the dancers had reserved them all by putting their fans on each place. It was 32 degrees and salty rivulets were running southwards down my face, down my back and down my front so peeling my trousers off my knees I sat down wearily. Making use of the fan I had just moved and the bottle of iced water I had just bought, I sat and watched the scene unfolding in front of me.

Even in the oppressive heat there was no shortage of dancers, some seemingly lifelong partners and others perhaps regulars at the “club”. Some women danced with women and some danced on their own, a strange sort of ghost dance. In the tradition of the “school disco” there were plenty waiting in the wings, perhaps resting, perhaps waiting to be picked. And it wasn’t long before this “exotic” girl was spotted by an enthusiastic dancer. It was what I had dreaded, in part it was why I hadn’t wanted to pay the entrance fee – those not paying weren’t allowed to dance!

My prospective dance partner was a very cheerful diminutive woman on the wrong side of 60 wielding a plastic “Minnie Mouse” fan with which she started to fan me (sounds like some sort of weaver bird courtship ritual). Not knowing the etiquette concerning the receiving of fan services from a member of the same sex, I thanked her and she sat down next to me. I was already expecting it so when she reached to grab my arm and drag me onto the dance floor I resisted successfully. So she sat next to me and chatted away for 30 minutes. Well, I say 30 minutes but it was probably more like 2 minutes, it just seemed like 30 because I couldn’t understand what she was saying. The conversation went a bit like this. (All this is in Chinese)

“Jabber jabber jabber jabber?”
“I don’t understand you”

“Oh you don’t understand me”
“That’s right, I don’t understand you”

“Jabber jabber you like this? ”
“No I don’t like it”

“Jabber jabber jabber jabber?”
“Yes”

“Jabber jabber jabber jabber?”
“No”

“Jabber jabber jabber jabber”
“I don’t understand you”

“Oh you don’t understand me”
“That’s right, I don’t understand you”

“Jabber jabber jabber two kwai”
“Do you want two kwai?”

“Jabber jabber jabber jabber”
“I don’t understand you”

“Oh you don’t understand me. Bye bye”

Every day you can see people exercises in groups, whether it be in parks, in the school playground, outside the work place or in the grounds of the apartment block. Stretching, swinging arms and legs, using public exercise machines in the parks, running on the spot, sword dancing, fan dancing, tai chi, aerobics, disco… there’s something for everyone.

It might be a while before I become an active member of the Palace of the Ming Dynasty dancing troupe but if I do, I’ll be one of those sitting round the edge looking on. And if it’s anything like the school disco I’ll probably ending up dancing with whoever asks me.