Pursuits : Elizabeth Thomsen

During the three summers I spent in the beautiful, seaside city of Dalian, China, I loved watching the yangge dancers performing in various squares and parks. Yangge is a style of folk dance that’s performed for recreation and exercise in squares and parks, especially popular with middle-aged and older women.

In Dalian, I had a a few favorite groups in Zhongshan Square and Renmin Square, and I loved watching them perform and taking photographs. They always seemed so happy, laughing and showing off for the camera, and I really wanted to pick up a fan and join in.

I found this great and joyful video on YouTube, a short film called “Yangge Dancing in Shenyang.” (Shenyang is the capital city of Liaoning, the province where Dalian is located.) It’s about the Shenyang Deaf Yangge Troupe, a lively group of hearing-impaired performers. The Danwei Music film was produced by Luke Mines, Jeremy Goldkorn and Anna Sophie Loewenberg for Goldmines Films. Enjoy!