New round of square dancing in Guizhou

On Oct 29, a series of square dance performances will be held in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, featuring 25 teams from around the country.

Announced by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Oct 24, it will be livestreamed on Oct 29.

The event was announced in Beijing this June and over 100 teams from around the country applied to take part. Auditions took place from Sept 8 to 26 in different cities, including Zhengzhou in Henan province, Weihai in Shandong province, and Datong in Shanxi province.

Square dancing has been a popular pastime among the middle-aged and elderly for decades. Usually taking place in outdoor spaces, like public squares and parks, square dancing is considered a good form of exercise. It also attracts the young and works with different dance styles.

Zheng Xin, deputy director of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said in Beijing on Oct 24, that as Guizhou is home to 18 ethnic groups, including the Miao, Yi and Bouyei, the dances will feature the styles of a variety of ethnic groups.