活力四射 中国街舞老奶奶

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This morning on Today's China, hip-hop hits the mainland, dancing is all the rage these days back home, thanks to those popular TV shows. But NBC's Mark Melinda 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 Tai Chi, practiced by its elders, at least some of the time, it may seem ludicrous but this generational martial art has turned a group of Chinese seniors into a cultural phenomena, they are called" the hip-pop grannies."

This possy of home girls range an age from 45 to 74. It was founded by 70-year-old Wu Ying, yup, she's 70, she was inspired after catching a dance competition on TV.

"I had never seen anything like that, I liked the look of the dancers having in their eyes, the way they moved, I thought this could be good exercise."

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

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

The dancers were encouraged to wear both the attitude and the outfits.

"I was a little conservative before but now I wear cool and trendy clothes."

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

"My daughter said, look at the baggy pants and the topi you have on, is it what a mother should look like?"
 But Wu kept at it and the idea took off, attracting hundreds of wannabe old school hip-hopers, then China's media. More than just novelty, these women developed into good dancers.

They've even entered hip-hop dance competitions and won against competitors one quarter their age.

The grannies have also won 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 dizzying mum was warm.

Meantime the founder of the hip-hop 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-hop grannies!

The hip-hop grannies, everyone, thank you all, we have much more of Today from Beijing right after this.