How dancing is changing the lives of elderly Chinese

HARBIN - Liu Lixia walks into the classroom wearing her dancing gear and proceeds to warm up in front of the mirror. She dances every week and enjoys her weekly university-style life.

Nothing unusual there perhaps, except that the "university" Liu attends is Harbin Senior Citizen School. It was established in 1984 and is one of China's first educational establishments aimed solely at senior citizens. More than 200,000 students have graduated from it over the past 30 years. All the students enrolled here are over 50 years old, and have had their lives enriched through attending the school.

Following her musical accompaniment, Liu spins and jumps gracefully to the beat. It is difficult to imagine that she is over 50 years old. "It has been more than three years since I first came to this class. Not only did dancing give me a new lease of life, but I also became more cheerful and confident," Liu said.