Grandmothers are joining cheerleaders on the stage and on the airwaves, reports Voice of America, and they call themselves “The Hip-Hop Grannies.”
Wu Yi retired at the mandatory age of 55. Bored at home, she saw hip-hop dancing on TV and thought it would be fun to try.
She is 70 and says she is active. “Those in their 70s just eat a little and watch TV, sit in front of it, say, ‘What is this?’ They are withering, and walk like this. But you can see I am different. I dance everyday. Life is about exercise. It makes me not only healthy, but gives me a flexible body and I do not suffer from sickness,” she said.
See also a VOA Video: Retired Women Lead New Dance Craze in China
Chinese audiences have responded with enthusiasm and, according to Independent Television News, the world may be next, as the “grannies” bring their energy to the Olympic stage this summer:
More about The Hip-Hop Grannies, from Reuters.
More about aging and retirement in China, from CDT.
