At the word "go", 2,000 high school students rushed onto the floor as if they were running the 100-meter dash; like a spreading flame they filled every possible space in the Taipei Physical Education College gymnasium, the atmosphere within rising to the boiling point in the blink of an eye. Stepping to the beat they twisted and turned, shook their hips and even bounced off of one another in a dance of total ecstasy. Their feet moved to the upbeat rhythms of disco, rock, funk, and new wave music, their faces streaming with sweat under the brightly colored lights. They seemed to be burning with delight, wildly moving their bodies in a complete emotional release.

These festivities of last December 27th are by no means common fare here; this was the Ministry of Education's first-ever dance party/laser show held for high school students. Just three days before, a similar government-sponsored dance party was held in the southern city of Kaoshiung. Both parties began with the city mayors leading off the first dance; both parties captured the attention of the entire nation. The media were full of long reports on the dancing of young people, which was once prohibited by every school in the nation. The previous generation never imagined that today's students would enjoy government sponsorship of what was always forbidden to them when they were in school--public dancing.

That teen-aged people enjoy dancing seems to be a matter of course; given this, why has dancing been consistently looked upon as a "bad habit" in the past? The ideal of scholastic advancement is certainly at the top of the list in this society, so that "good children" have always been defined as those who sit and quietly ponder over their books, following all the rules. If they become obsessed with terpsichorean activity, leading to constant procrastination in their homework, won't they then fail to measure up to their fellows? Dancing seems to have been labeled a "crime" in the past due to just this kind of thinking."

Granted, the places in which they dance have also had an influence on how people view this type of activity. In the past the arranging of student dancing parties was often fraught with difficulties. Because it was necessary for students to rent out a place for the dance on their own, all frills needed to be kept to a bare minimum. As the spending power of students increased, some fast-thinking businessmen opened dance halls complete with adequate dancing space, lights, sound systems, and elaborate decor, often including a professional D.J. to boot. A cover charge is taken at the door and patrons have a ready-made dance party.

These places are not the same as "adult" dancing centers (where "dancing partners" are provided as well). Due to their illegality, most of these youth-oriented dance halls sport signs proclaiming themselves as coffee houses, Western restaurants, or Cantonese-style dim-sum restaurants, and have subsequently become known as "underground nightclubs." If one is not a member of the "hip" inner circle of youths, one will never even find the door to these hidden dance halls.

While most of the patrons of these underground nightclubs are genuinely high-school-aged youths, there are of course some places where one is apt to get mixed up with undesirable elements from underworld societies. As such establishments were picked up on by the public media, the reports cast yet another shadow across the face of dance-related activities.

Said one young dance enthusiast with the unhappy tone of one who has been wronged: "One bad apple does not spoil the whole bunch. You can't suppose that everyone who comes in here is a problem student. Most of us are law-abiding people; we come here solely for dancing."

If we cloak these centers in an aura of high-class respectability, will the outlook for the situation be changed? Last summer the Mandarin Hotel, depending on the power of its standing as a respectable international tourist hotel, invested tens of millions of NT dollars in the opening of its "Kiss" disco. On every weekend since its opening there have been long lines of youths waiting to get in at the door; parents have no objection to their children coming here to dance. Youths are often heard to say that if you've never been to the Kiss disco, you're simply not in tune with the times.

From the level of the Kiss disco's popularity, we can see the attitude that youths hold when approaching the problem of selecting a place to dance. It is a symbol of importance in showing their social standing; the more expensive the place they can crowd into, the more satisfied they are.

"Dancing is great, it makes me happy, I feel satisfied, I can vent my frustrations, forget my problems," said one young dancer. Another student agreed, saying that in most situations, regardless of whether it is an adult or a fellow classmate who is doing the appraising, a student's value is judged on the basis of how he performs academically. In a dancing hall the situation is different; there whoever dances best will win the admiration of his peers. There it not only doesn't matter what school you study at, in fact, if you try to make an issue out of it you will only gain the disdain of the others.

"When young people dance they obtain satisfaction on the surface; but the concealed subconscious motive may be a rebellious heart," says Huang Wei-hsien, professor of Sociology at National Cheng-chi University. "The value judgments derived from the ideal of scholastic advancement cause those students with less than outstanding academic records to look elsewhere for support, rebelling against the superiority of society at large. Looking at it from another angle, the goal of dancing is simply to relax one's body and mind. It will not obstruct social order; on the contrary, it may even help young people to learn to socialize better."

On the other hand, one author worries that dancing under the influence of this violent, hysterical music which appeals directly only to sensual pleasure, seemingly together yet really alone, jumping and twisting about with eyes closed, is really a cause for people to feel the heartache of emptiness.

One dance, so many moods. Young friends, which is the one in your hearts?

[Picture Caption]

"Forget the generation gap, tonight we dance to youth!" (photo by Arthur Jeng)

The wearing of dark sunglasses as a sign of rebellion brings a feeling of cold aloofness.

You need a lot more than just one ring and a bracelet to keep in step with this generation! （courtesy of Hu Fu-ts'ai）

The art of enjoying Western fast foods is not merely munching on a burger; there is an atmosphere to be digested as well.

Wearing a coat like that of the leader of an underworld gang, this youth shows the influence that movies have over today's younger generation.

"Forget the generation gap, tonight we dance to youth!" （photo by Arthur Jeng）

（above） Young people will perform even without an audience. （courtesy of Wang Chih-hung）

（above） Although shooting pool is still a popular pastime, it's not nearly the rage that it used to be. （photo by Arthur Jeng）

（below） The variety of video games and pinball machines varies endlessly, always new. （courtesy of Wang Chih-hung）

（Below） "Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail," nothing can hold back the star-chasing autograph collectors. （photo by Arthur Jeng）

Fashion is: Wearing name-brand athletic shoes with no socks? Racing the wind on a Yamaha?

The popular drag racing of motorbikes has already become a public menace. （courtesy of Yeh Ch'ing-fang）