Come Dance With Me

Lai Lai Ballroom has gained its fame in the past two decades within Shanghai’s gay community. It is particularly popular among middle-aged and elderly gay men. This place opens its arms to men with all kinds of stories: a monk who yields to his own desire, an HIV-positive individual who hides from one hurting relationship to another, and a transgender person making a living with breast prostheses. They find a moment of comfort and understanding here, before returning to what life expects of them in the real world. In May 2018, this place was closed. Nobody knows whether it will ever re-open to those who miss it.