Dancing dama take on the world

Chen Guohua, 64, a lover of outdoor square dancing, no longer worries about finding a dance venue where she will not disturb the neighbors.

Chen and five other Chinese dama - middle-aged or elderly women - have performed for the past year in the 80-minute drama 50/60 Dance Theater with Dama, at Penghao Theater in downtown Beijing, and even performed on the international stage in October's Vie Festival in Bologna, Italy.

"At first, we only took the play as a pastime and a way of doing exercise. None of us ever anticipated performing in Italy," said Tian Ying, 63. "I think few retirees can do what we are doing now."