Lanzhou, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Wearing delicate small leather shoes and standard dance costumes, a group of dancers danced to the enthusiastic tango music at a dance club in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, northwest China.
"Pay attention to the rhythm and maintain the posture." Shen Ronghuai, who spoke a Beijing dialect, reminded the students. At his command, more than a dozen dancers were in unison, with elegant movements and light postures.
Shen Ronghuai, 51, is the head of the Gansu Meidi Sports Dance Club and a professional tango dance instructor.
Shen Ronghuai (first from right) is helping students correct their movements. Photographed by Wang Ning
Tango is a two-person dance popular in Argentina with a bright rhythm and gorgeous, elegant, lively and varied steps. The unique dance moves attract more and more Chinese to learn and learn.
Talking about the fate with tango, Shen Ronghuai was quite emotional, "Tango let me understand the charm of dance, but also let me harvest love. Shen Ronghuai and his wife Feng Yingchun met and fell in love because of dance.
In 2003, the successful couple in the Beijing dance circle were invited to Lanzhou to teach tango dance. Their professionalism and enthusiasm have deeply infected the local dance lovers.
Feng Yingchun came up with a bold idea. She suggested that Shen Ronghuai start a business and "open a dance school in Lanzhou." Lanzhou is Feng Yingchun's hometown.
Feng Yingchun (first from right) and the trainees practice tango dance. Photographed by Wang Ning
In 2006, Beijingers Shen Ronghuai and Feng Yingchun officially returned to Lanzhou from Beijing and opened the Gansu Meidi Sports Dance Club with the help of friends, starting their dance dream journey.
For Shen Ronghuai, a new beginning must be difficult. At that time, the dance awareness of Lanzhou and even the entire northwest region was relatively weak, "many people think that tango is the dance in the dance hall, and the close physical contact makes many people give up after a long time." He said.
In addition, the trainees who just came to learn tango were not formal in costume, and there were all kinds of styles, which he could not accept, "Sometimes they are in a hurry and blow these students out, so they are reluctant to come to my class, thinking that I am too strict." Shen Ronghuai said.
Although the trainees were all tango amateurs, he did not lower the threshold. Over the past decade, Mr. and Mrs. Shen Ronghuai have encouraged and guided the trainees to wear formal dance costumes. The sobering phrase "Please wear professional dance clothes inside" at the door of the classroom reminds every student at all times.
Happily, the students' understanding of tango is subtly changing. Shen Ronghuai's efforts have paid off, and the number of his students has increased from more than 10 at the beginning of the school to about 300 at present.
"Now, many parents of middle-aged and elderly people and children and teenagers are very recognized of tango, and although the tango steps are complicated, they are willing to take the time to understand." Shen Ronghuai said that with the improvement of living standards, people pay more attention to quality of life and physical health, and are willing to spend money to learn tango dance.
The students are trying to practice tango. Photographed by Wang Ning
Fan Yali, a 50-year-old tango lover, is a typical representative. After retiring, she was introduced to Shin Ronghuai's dance club, and she quickly became obsessed with tango after never having a dance foundation.
"If I don't retire, I probably won't have anything to do at home." Fan Yali insists on attending classes almost every weekday, even if the commute from home to club is as long as 4 hours, but she is not tired, "Dancing cheerful tango makes me feel like A young man." ”
Shen Ronghuai told reporters that from the hinterland of northwest China to the frontier areas opened to the outside world, in recent years, tango associations and clubs have blossomed everywhere, attracting more and more enthusiasts of different ages to learn.
Ou Zhanming, a researcher at Argentina's National Tango Institute, said that when tango was listed as the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2009, only a few people learned to dance tango in China. Today, more than 30 first- and second-tier cities across the country have regular tango clubs, tango balls and fixed tango teaching points.
"For Argentines, tango is not only a dance, but also inseparable from life, and even a culture that melts in the blood." Shen Ronghuai said, "I hope that tango can also bring more spiritual pleasure to Chinese." ”