No Lights No Lycra

By MELIA RAYNER
16th October 2014

Imagine yourself in a large, dark space. There is a disco tune spinning and bodies moving around you. You can’t see their faces but their outlines swirl about in a dark haze. The music moves through disco to RnB to an embarrassingly catchy pop jam and the bodies react accordingly. It’s a little bit weird, a lot of fun and it’s becoming a fully-fledged movement in Melbourne and beyond.

No Lights No Lycra is a grassroots dance community that holds events across various halls, clubs and venues in Melbourne – check their website for a location close by. Stemming from the belief that ‘everyone can dance’ the sessions are about bringing people together to experience free movement and embrace your inner daggy dancer – without being judged. 

To call it a class would be a misnomer as there’s no teacher, no instructions, no techniques to follow. All you have to do is let your inhibitions loosen for an hour and get your dancing shoes on. Yes, you’ll feel a little bit awkward at first as you shuffle into a dark room with a bunch of strangers who are each getting right into the music – but you’ll be breaking a move yourself before too long.

It’s not just stress relief either; dancing for an hour on end (at a fairly fast pace) will churn through the calories and stretch out your body. If you spend extensive time at a desk, on a plane or carry stresses along with you this is just the thing to release those tensions and get the blood flowing.  Though it’s certainly not the most conventional form of exercise, it gets our tick of approval for travellers who seek out the unique, hidden experiences that can’t be found everywhere.

 

No Lights No Lycra runs weekly classes across Melbourne and Adelaide (plus many other worldwide locations!) No need to book, just turn up in comfy clothes.

Above image taken from the NLNL Facebook page.