As a child, Lei Lingli loved to go to weddings(婚礼) because she enjoyed the delicious food, music and dance. What interested her the (many) was a tradition of the She ethnic group(畲族) that Lei belongs to. (bear) in a small village of Xiabaishi Town in Ningde, Fujian Province, Lei grew up(practice). She songs and dances. Lei also learned(speak) the ethnic language from her mother and grandmother before. she was taught to speak Mandarin(普通话) in school.
"Both my mother and grandmother are great singers and dancers. They sing at home anytime they feel like (sing), such as when they cook or wash clothes," says Lei. "Singing and dancing are part of (they) lives . "
Now, Lei is trying to keep and develop the culture and tradition of her ethnic group by running her own dance studio(工作室). It (teach) children, from 6 to 16 years old, songs, dances and language.
"To(I) surprise, many children joined my dance studio. Over half of (they) are not from the She ethnic group," says Lei, who now works with five teachers and (teacher) over 100 children.
