School principal performing a shuffle dance with his students has gone viral

Before the dawn of the computer and smartphone era, children used to be involved in a great amount of physical activity. That is because kids of the older generation genuinely craved for physical movement. To expend their overflowing energies, they come outside their homes to play with the other children.

Unfortunately, that is not the case anymore in today’s world – and we can’t even blame the children. It is difficult to keep a child from being exposed to something that is practically everywhere, and as adults, it is our responsibility to limit their screen time as much as we can.

In an effort to keep their children active, the Chinese government has implemented a policy requiring all primary, middle, and high school students to participate in daily morning exercises. But one school principal in China decided to put a twist to these routine exercises, with hopes that the students will appreciate exercising more.

Zhang Pengfei, principal of the Xi Guan Primary School in Shanxi province, wanted to make the compulsory exercise fun for his students and teachers, who didn’t feel very enthusiastic about the government-mandated radio calisthenics.

This exercise involves following recorded instructions played over loudspeakers, as students are directed to exercise in synchronized movements – bending, stretching, jumping, turning. It is said that these movements help improve strength, flexibility, agility, and teamwork.

But his students and teachers weren’t a big fan of the traditional exercise, so he decided to change it up to adapt to modern times. Zhang took it upon himself to learn the shuffle dance, and once he did, he led the school and implemented the new routine.

Some of the teachers weren’t sure of the routine initially, but Zhang says they came around quickly “because the music is full of energy … it really gets the happiness flowing.”

They call the dance guibu, or ghost steps – a shuffle dance incorporating modern jazz steps, with heel-and-toe movements and arm actions.

In the now viral video, the students, together with their principal who was leading the exercise, can be seen pumping their arms and shuffling their feet. Not just that, but they actually seemed like they were genuinely enjoying the routine!

Everyone was wearing big smiles on their faces as they moved seamlessly together. The whole dance/exercise routine was so flawless that to watch them is just pleasing to the eyes. It certainly helped that the music was upbeat and groovy!

The footage of the principal dancing with his students became an instant hit and quickly turned into a viral sensation. People from all over the world are sharing it in their social media accounts, with one clip even garnering millions of views in just one day.

The principal’s idea definitely brought back the fun in exercise. Who knows – with all the attention that it is getting – maybe we will be seeing more schools adopting this practice. It will surely get the kids and even the teachers moving!

Watch the clip below to see as Zhang and his students bust out their moves.