Lei Lingli, dressed in traditional She clothes, gives a dancing class in Ningde, Fujian province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The She community settled in Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Guangdong provinces.

According to the website of the bureau of culture and tourism of Ningde, the She population has reached 200,000 there. The number of She people living in Ningde accounts for one-fourth of the total population of the ethnic group in the country.

Most residents in Lei's village are She people. Raised by a single mother and her grandmother, Lei grew up practicing She songs and dances. Lei also learned to speak the ethnic language with her mother and grandmother before she was taught to speak Mandarin in school.

Now, the 27-year-old is dedicated to promoting and preserving the culture and tradition of her ethnic group by managing her own dance studio. Launched a year ago, the dance studio, named Hanier Dance Art, teaches children, from 6 to 16 years old, songs, dances and language.

"Both my mother and grandmother are great singers and dancers. They sing at home anytime they feel like singing, such as when they cook, wash clothes or do embroidery," says Lei. "Singing and dancing are part of their lives."