China retiree, 78, and pole dancing champion wins gold medal, represents country in Asia’s Got Talent contest
- Starts hobby to keep fit at 64, loves ‘flying in the air’, will dance into 80s
- Says no more inflammation, swollen wrist, enjoys ‘conquering’ challenges
Wearing glamorous make-up, a mini skirt and high heels, Dai Dali, gracefully spins, does the splits and hangs upside down from a pole on stage.
It is hard to believe, but Dai is 78 years old.
The former bookshop employee in Sichuan province, southwestern China, has taken to pole dancing since she retired at age 64.
The oldest pole dancer in China has enjoyed her hobby ever since, and has captivated observers with her determination to keep dancing into her 80s.
Dai now live-streams her daily training sessions on Douyin, and has attracted about 180,000 followers.
“Don’t let age limit us. I want to age gracefully,” Dai said.
At the age of 70, when some retirees barely manage to shuffle around the shops in their slippers, Dai won a gold medal in a professional pole dancing competition.
She has showcased her talent on state broadcaster CCTV, represented China in the Asia’s Got Talent competition, and been invited to perform on NBC’s Reality Show Little Big Shots: Forever Young.
At her Asia’s Got Talent performance, Dai received a standing ovation from all four judges.
One of the judges, American music producer David Foster, who was going through a divorce at the time, said humorously: “I think I met my next wife.”
Dai responded that she felt “very honoured”, but playfully added: “He is a little too young for me.”
Dai was drawn to the hobby as a way of keeping fit when she was 64. There was a pole dancing studio near the gym where she attended folk dancing classes, and she was intrigued by the “feeling of flying in the air”.
When she started training her legs were often covered in bruises, but she enjoyed the process of “conquering” all the challenges.
“I used to have inflammation and swelling in my left wrist before I started pole dancing; I could barely do anything with my hand. But now it’s much better,” Dai told the Post in 2015.
“As I’ve got older, my muscles have weakened, and I’m not as strong as I used to be. However, years of practice have continuously improved my technique and flexibility,” she said recently.
On social media, some criticised her for picking up such a “sexual” and “seductive” hobby, but she chose to ignore such comments.
“When I spin on the pole and perform the moves I love, I feel beautiful,” she said.
She has even had a 9-ft pole installed in her bedroom at home for daily practice.
Her family is very supportive, though her husband prefers playing mahjong. Her grandson has been a loyal fan of her hobby since his childhood.
In Dai’s Douyin comment section, aunties in their fifties and sixties share photos of themselves practising dance or yoga, inspired by Dai’s active lifestyle.
“I hope to live like you when I’m 70,” one online observer said.
“You’re in your 70s, but with the looks of a 25-year-old, and the mindset of a 15-year-old,” another commented.
Recently, Zhenzhen, a 63-year-old woman in China was complimented for her youthful appearance and strong body, achieved by training regularly in the gym for eight years after retiring.
Another man, Wang Deshun, wowed Chinese social media when he walked the catwalk at a fashion show aged 79 in 2015, showing off his muscles. He also became the oldest person in the country to receive an official pilot’s licence.
