Public dancing is a consequence of China's rapidly aging society, observers say. Although the dancers have emphasized the positive aspects of the pastime, the amplified music they use has led to tensions with neighbors who say they are constantly being subjected to unwanted noise pollution and have taken steps to eradicate it.[Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Conflict has arisen between dancing groups and their annoyed neighbors.

Some have labeled them ridiculous and annoying, while others believe that they deserve their own time, space and respect. They are the da ma - middle-aged, retired women, freed from the constraints of work and raising children - who dance in public spaces around the country in the mornings and evenings. However, this seemingly innocent and healthy pursuit has hit the headlines, pitted neighbor against neighbor, and provoked widespread debate.

These elderly ladies have been blamed for taking up too much public space and dancing in the wrong places, such as rail stations and highways, and even in front of the Louvre in Paris and Red Square in Moscow. Moreover, the loud, amplified music they use has irritated neighbors, who have fought back in a variety of ways, such as shooting guns in the air and using loudspeakers to drown out the 'noise'. In some areas, the fraught situation has led local governments to formulate laws to limit the times and locations of the dances.

"It's become a national phenomenon, rather than a neighborhood problem," according to retired Beijing resident Hu Guozhen, 57, who took up public dancing around three years ago. "But it brings us great joy, and we have done our best to compromise, such as turning down the music and shortening the duration of the dancing period."

Every evening at 7:30 - weather permitting - Hu dances in a square at a shopping mall near her house in Majiapu, in the Fengtai district of Beijing. During the two-hour sessions, she and about 30 others dance to 20 songs played on a brick-sized portable music player.

Hu says the pastime has helped her lose weight and improved the quality of her sleep. In addition to the health benefits, she says dancing brings her spiritual joy and helps her feel young.