Elderly ballet rehearses in Hubei

The elegant ballet is not exclusive to young girls and boys. Dance troupe members of the university for the elderly in Hubei province are standing on tiptoes and performing ballet with passion, Hubei Daily reported on Wednesday.

"We have over 60 members, with an average age of 63," said 66-year-old Cui Suichuan, head of the dance troupe. "And more than 20 members are males."

Cui once served as a lawyer and assumed leadership of the dance troupe in 2014. "The members were engaged in different jobs before their retirements. We have classes three times a week and often receive show invitations," said Cui, laughing.

"We are one of the busiest teams at the university. We once performed 30-plus shows within a year," Cui said. "Our members are not young any more, and many of us have never learned ballet before. But we have passion for it."

"It is hard for us to press our legs and do back bends, but things get better as we slow down," said Liu Meihua and Liu Lin, members of the troupe. "Dancing helps shape our bodies."

Li Xinming, 63, once worked in the national song and dance troupe of Hubei and now is the coach of the troupe members of the elderly university.

"I am quite strict with the dance members", said Li. "Ballet is an elegant dance form that stresses body shape and gestures. Every move, from the fingertip to the tiptoe, should be uniform."

"When your body gets slim and your performance improves, your feelings about dance will be different," said Li.