Are you like me and love to dance in your lounge room or while making dinner?
I love the feeling of dancing freely while nobody is watching, and just letting myself relax after a day at work. It’s freeing, invigorating and improves my mood after a long day.
What if you could take that feeling and share it with a room full of people, with no pressure to perform?
No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) is an organisation bringing the freedom of dance to Parramatta. Conceived in 2009 as a small gathering of people in Melbourne, NLNL has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, with over 75 locations all over the globe.
Each Monday night a group of people from all walks of life gather together at Harry Todd Band Hall in Jubilee Park, Parramatta and dance like no one can see them for one hour. And no one can see them, because there’s no lights on.
The intention of a NLNL session is simple: to boost your mood and release your inhibitions – that’s it. No judgement, no pressure, and no lycra or active wear required.
I was curious about this concept, and how it would feel to actually go through with it, so I decided to join in on a session. Making my way to Jubilee Park in the cold of winter was tough, but very worth it.
The session began with testing the speakers and getting a run through from the team about what to expect. It’s reasonably self explanatory, patrons just need to make sure they have enough room between them and someone else as to not encroach on anyone’s space while acting out their best moves. Other than that, just feel the music and have fun.
With that quick intro out of the way, it was time to turn off the lights and dance.
For the first 10 minutes or so, the absence of light was a bit disorienting, but once my eyes adjusted I got a better sense of where I was and where people might be around me.
The thought of dancing in a room full of strangers is a bit daunting. I spent a lot of time wondering if they could see me, as I could see outlines and silhouettes of others around me. Despite this, after some time I both realised they couldn’t, or didn’t care if they could, and so, the best part of the evening began.
It was truly freeing to dance in this dark room of strangers. Everyone around me was only concerned with themselves, so each of us was free to do and feel whatever we wanted. The music was loud and drowned out any thoughts not relevant to the moment. No thoughts of dinner plans or tomorrow’s work day here, just dance.
The varied soundtrack had something for everybody, from ABBA to The Angels and everything in between. This kept the room upbeat and on our toes, hanging on what the next song might be.
After the hour was up and the lights turned back on, there was a sense of calm euphoria in the room, the way you might feel after a great workout. Everyone blissfully collected their things and filed out into the cold night, still warm enough to leave their jackets off.
Upon reflection, as much as I love dancing and having fun, I was nervous to have this experience. We live in a society that’s filled with pressure and judgement, and it can often feel like every move we make is being watched or recorded. NLNL is a safe space to be yourself, with like minded individuals who are just there to have a good time. Knowing no one is watching you is the most liberating feeling in the world, and NLNL offers that on a weekly basis.
If you’d like to join a session and feel the release, check out https://www.nolightsnolycra.com/locations/parramatta-nsw/ to book and get some information.
Madeline Dantier is the author of the Experience Parramatta series, hosted by Parra News.