Apparently working out needn’t be solitary or boring, and you don’t need the latest lycra leisurewear either. We know, it came as a shock to us too. In fact, ex-dance students Alice Glenn and Heidi Barrett found a way to make it seriously fun – they founded No Lights No Lycra, a dance-in-the-dark concept that has taken off around the world, spawning spinoffs in Brooklyn, San Fran, Sydney, Amsterdam, Atlanta, Glasgow and beyond.

Glenn gives us the inside word:

 

What exactly is No Lights No Lycra?
“No Lights No Lycra is a dance community where you can completely let go and shake out the stresses of the week in a friendly, non-threatening alcohol-free environment. It’s a time to lose yourself in the music – and the dark – while working up a sweat.”

Where did the idea come from?
“Heidi and I were both frustrated with the rigid nature of technical dance classes. We wanted a place to dance as freely as we do in our living rooms – but with lots of friends. And a space to dance for the pure joy of dancing.”

 

What sort of music can we expect?
“We play music across all genres: a certain number of daggy tracks mixed in with the latest pop and indie tunes, which keeps it fun and unpretentious. We play anything from Salt n Pepa’s Shoop to Aretha Franklin, M.I.A. and Dolly Parton’s 9-5, just to name a few.”

Sessions are in Fitzroy and Brunswick East and Glenn tells us a Baby NLNL is going to launch soon for for tiny dancers – from newborns to four-year-olds – and their parents at Schoolhouse Studios in Abbotsford.

When & Where:
Tuesdays 7-8.30pm | St Marks Church, 250 George St, Fitzroy
Wednesdays 7-8.30pm | 49 Nicholson St, Brunswick East (via Barkly St)
Price: $5
Details: nolightsnolycra.blogspot.com