中小学校园交谊舞：羞答答掀起盖头来

这个学期开始，中国的中小学生们开始了一门新的选修课：交谊舞。传统教育下羞涩的很多男孩女孩们第一次拉起异性的手，开始他们人生道路上的第一堂社交课。有脸红胆怯的，也有开朗接受的，有一点无庸置疑的是，这门选修课在青春期的少男少女们的成长经历中成为一道特殊的点缀。

The Western ballroom waltz is to be introduced into China's primary and middle school as an extracurricular* course this fall semester to cultivate boys' and girls' social graces and improve their fitness.

But, the plan by the country's Ministry of Education has somewhat embarrassed* schoolchildren and worried their parents, who fear their children will fall in love and forget their studies once they begin dancing hand in hand.

Feng Bokai, of Beijing No. 2 Middle School, hesitated when asked to hold a girl's hand in a group dance, because Chinese traditional values say that teenage boys and girls should not get "too close."

"It's my first time to dance with girls, hand-in-hand," said 16-year-old Feng. "Some of us adapted by holding the girls' sleeves* or fingers instead of hands."

His partner Wang Anni, however, seemed to enjoy it. "It's just a dance, good exercise," she said, saying any fear of dancing leading to "young love" ridiculous*.

But Si Yu, a senior student, was reluctant. "We wear sportswear every day. How can I dance in a shirt and leather shoes?" said Si, who prefers to listen to hip-hop and practice taekwondo* in his spare time.

The dance program was introduced after a survey of students found that 72.3 percent enjoy dancing, and 75 percent of boys and girls prefer to dance together.

Yang Guiren, senior for art and physical education at the education ministry, said dancing, brought in amid worries about increasing child obesity and a lack of physical exercise, was intended to enrich PE lessons and improve physical fitness.

The government earlier this year called on all schools to ensure that children get at least an hour of exercise each day. A nationwide survey last year showed the health of China's youngsters had declined steadily over the past two decades, and one in five boys in cities were clinically overweight, due to a poor diet and lack of exercise.

Besides helping to keep students fit, Yang said the group dances can cultivate* "aesthetic* tastes" and social graces among children.

Meng, who was commissioned by the ministry to choreograph* dance routines for junior middle school students, was delighted to see students discussing the steps at practice. She heard them prompting each other with "Your left, my right."

"Adolescents aged 12 to 15 are rebellious, and they need guidance on how to communicate with the world," said Meng. "Children of this age want to communicate with the opposite sex, but traditions often restrain them."

Many parents who have only one child worry that teenage relationships will ruin the child's academic performance. But Yang, the education official, believed otherwise. "Young love will not blossom through dancing, nor will it die through lack of dancing."

Besides waltzing, the "Campus Yangge," a dance incorporating* Chinese traditional movements, will be introduced to junior middle schools this autumn.

School authorities can choose dance types they deem* appropriate. Students in the Tibet Autonomous Region, for instance, have begun tap dances with local characteristics.

The Ministry of Education said group dancing was only an alternative* exercise, and would not replace the decades-old "radio exercises" - exercising to radio music - which generations of Chinese remember fondly despite criticism of its "monotony*."

Questions:

What do you think of the plan to introduce Western ballroom waltz in your school? Do you think it will lead to young love? Write to us in 300 words to voice your views.

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adolescent adj. 青春期的

extracurricular adj. 课外的

embarrassed adj. 尴尬的

sleeve n. 袖子

ridiculous adj. 荒谬的

taekwondo n. 跆拳道

cultivate v. 发掘

aesthetic adj. 美学的

choreograph v. 设计舞蹈动作

incorporate v. 合并，融入

deem v. 认为

alternative adj. 可选择的

monotony n. 千篇一律