No Lights No Lycra, the latest, greatest Aussie dance trend taking the world by storm!
Everyone's heard of the saying 'Dance like nobody's watching' ...which is a great phrase, but as I'm sure most would agree, not all that easy to actually do. As much as most of us do love to go crazy and feel the music, often self-consiousness, insecurities and a hyper-awareness of our own awkwardness or lack of co-ordination (even the best movers and shakers feel it sometimes!) lead us to limit ourselves to a docile shuffle, and maybe some head bobs, ignoring the bold, zealous moves our inner divas are craving us to whip out. If this sounds a bit like you, and you're tired of limiting your air guitar to the confining space of your lounge room, then it's time you joined in with No Lights, No Lycra. In the words of the creators themselves "No Lights No Lycra is an dance community that started in Melbourne by unruly dance students Alice Glenn and Heidi Barrett in 2009. There is no light, no lycra, no teacher, no steps to learn, no technique, just free movement. NLNL is a space where you can completely let go, shake out the stresses of the week, and lose yourself in the music and the physicality of your body. NLNL is a daggy, non-pretentious place to completely be yourself." Sounds perfect right? And not only has Melbourne fallen in love with the quirky new dance trend, but Australia and even overseas has happily embraced NLNL, with cities such as Berlin, New York and London starting up their own No Lights, No Lycra sessions.
If this sounds like it could be your cup of tea (and let's face it, who DOESN'T like the sound of uninhibited, crazy dancing with the added exhilaration of dancing in public... in the dark!) then head on over to the official NLNL website and find a group near you.
Happy dancing everyone!
“This is a pure and spiritual experience, releasing that urge to shake and doing it without dealing with the social nuances of dancing in public” - Greenpointers Blog, Brooklyn NY
“Many of the constraints of our modern society can be transcended through dancing in this environment, gender and sexuality become irrelevent, and space is negotiated without words or power struggle.” - Laura Morgan, NLNL Dancer, Melbourne.