In China, the government is considering a crackdown on one activity for reasons that have nothing to do with the pandemic.
You may have heard of China’s “dancing grannies.”
It’s a thing — a social gathering, an activity — and one that may face stiffer government regulation.
The movement has been going on for some years — groups of older women, and some men, gather in public spaces, crank up some music and dance.
Some groups have even taken their show on the road, dancing in Moscow’s Red Square and outside the Louvre in Paris.
Square dancing is a particular favorite, often around sunrise and sunset.
And the music, well, it can be really loud. And played late.
The South China Morning Post reports that four years ago, the General Administration of Sport of China warned “noises of square-dancing and exercises should not affect students attending classes and residential livelihood.”
But there were no penalties attached to that — no enforcement.
This week, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reports tougher measures are now under consideration by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
They would include restrictions on where and when the dancers could gather — and limits on how loudly the music plays.
And they come with fines, the equivalent of about $30 to $80.
