Hip-hop grannies in China 街舞

In China, hip-hop dancing is getting a lot of attention from a group of grannies.

This morning on Today’s China Hip-Pop hits the mainland, dancing is all the way these days back home, thanks to the popular TV show. But NBC’s Mark Marlin discovered it’s big here in China too, a large due to a rather unusual group of dancers.

China’s time-honored martial art of Taiji, practice by it’s elders, at least, some of the time. It may seem ludicrous, but this generational mash-up is turn to group of Chinese seniors into a cultural phenomenon. They are called the hip-pop grannies. This bossy of home girls range an age from 45 to 74, it was founded by 70 year-old Wu Ying. Yep, she’s 70, she was inspired after catching a dance competition on TV.

I had never seen any thing like that, I like the look of the dancers had in their eyes, the way they move, I thought this could be good exercise.

So she learned the moves and started teaching them in a gym class, and the women notice improvements in their health.

It brings energy out of the elderly, really. It feels really good.

The dancers were encouraged to where both the altitude and the outfits.

I was a little conservative before, but now I wear cool and trendy cloth.

Knock down with it, as they say, was Wu's modified daughter.

My daughter said, look at the baggy pants in the toppy you have on, is that what a mother should look like?

But Wu kept at it, and the idea took off attracting hundreds of one of the old school hip-popers, then China’s media, more than just a novelty this woman developed into good dancers.

They even entered hip-pop dance competitions, and won against competitors one quarter their age.

The grannies have also worn props, also known as admiration from tens of millions in China now familiar with their regular TV appearances, and even Wu’s daughter now admits dancing mum was worn. Meantime, the founder of the hip-pop grannies says she’s discovered another passion---becoming a rapper.

For today, Mark Marlin, NBC News, Beijing.

And here they are, live on our very own set Beijing’s very own hip-pop grannies.

The hip-pop grannies, everyone, thank you all, we’ve got much more on today from Beijing right after this.