Age is no barrier for Zhengzhou's ballet dancers

The tips of ballet shoes are hard but it is common that the dancer's toes undergo a lot of wear and tear due to practice. Du Youling, a ballet performer, said she has bought about 800 bandages and few are left.

"Now I have got experience, so I will spend 20 minutes attaching the bandages on my feet before dancing," Du said.

The ensemble has grown from 18 to 24 people now, and last year the group won the championship of a middle-aged dance competition in Henan.