Across China: Meet Dai Dali, the pole-dancing pensioner

Many seniors can put the younger generation to shame on China's outdoor gyms, but one grandmother has swapped the parallel bars for something a little more risque: Dai Dali is one of the country's most famous pole dancers.

After competing on the TV talent show "Amazing Chinese", and winning a national pole dancing competition in her age category, Dai, 70, is a prime example of how retirement shouldn't just be about winding down.

After saying goodbye to her career at a bookstore in 2005, Dai was looking for ways to ward off boredom. Dance classes seemed an obvious choice. She tried Latin, folk and other types of dance before falling in love with the combination of acrobatics and dance that pole dancing offered.

"I like the feeling of spinning in the air. It's fantastic," she told Xinhua on Sunday.

Not everyone is a fan of this bumping and grinding granny, especially those that can not shake off the association pole dancing has with strip clubs.

"It is indecent and inappropriate for a woman of her age to take up this 'immoral' dance," commented "Lingxiayidu' on Sina Weibo, China's answer to Twitter. "I wouldn't let my mother wear a miniskirt and high heels or act in this way."

Dai's family and friends, however, are supportive and proud that she chooses to ignore the naysayers.

In fact, Dai feels she has a responsibility to show them that pole dancing is not just about seedy karaoke bars and scantily clad girls. It is about keeping fit, staying healthy and having fun.

Although admitting that the first time she saw her fellow pole dancers in class she felt a bit awkward, Dai threw all her enthusiasm into the activity regardless.

Typically, lessons, which are held at gyms or dance studios, begin with normal exercises such as squats, push-ups and sit-ups to develop core strength and warm the body up. Then students move to the pole.

Dai may not have the physical power of younger women, but she has commitment in spades. While most people train for an hour to 90 minutes, Dai often practices for more than three hours, said her pole dancing instructor Wang Jian.

Not content with just practicing at the gym, Dai even has a pole at home so she can film herself and critique her performance.

Her determination has paid off; she can now perform on the pole for more than 20 minutes. At first, she said, she was lucky if she could hold on for a couple of seconds.

By the end of 2014, about 15 percent of the Chinese population were over 60. Far from being "over the hill", people like Dai are still active enough to try new things.

"Why not pole dancing?" Dai suggested. "Follow your heart -- it's never too old to dance. I will continue until the day I can't move." Endi