I may be showing my age a bit here, but does anyone else remember how clubbing used to be? How it used to feel?
You’d go out, have a few drinks, hit a club and dance until you’d sweat your make up off, your hair and clothes were soaked with sweat…. then dance your hair dry again.
You didn’t care who saw, you weren’t (necessarily) interested in pulling for the night, all you wanted to do was let the beat flow over you, maybe close your eyes, and dance.
I remember that. I feel the pull of the music, the bass as it flows to my finger tips. But I can’t find anywhere that’s ‘right’. No club night, or night club or gig seems to make me feel that way. I’m wary of being hit on, or (more likely) my heels killing me, or having had a little too much to drink to make my movements in any way coordinated.
That was until Keeley from Phat Cupcake and I were invited to Clubbercise.
Clubbercise takes what clubbing used to be and makes it exercise – that doesn’t feel like exercise.
I mean, don’t get me wrong you get out of breath, your heart pounds, you get sweaty, but you don’t care. You’ve bounced around (probably in an uncoordinated manner – especially if you’re me), but the music has been loud, the lights set to ‘disco’ and nobody has stomped on your toe, spilt their drink on you, or pinched your bum.
And did I mention the glow sticks?
And unlike street dance, or even some Zumba classes, the moves aren’t over complicated or scary. They’re simple, the routines are quick to learn and are as hard as you want to make them. Can’t do the arms and feet at the same time? Don’t.
And I did mention the glow sticks didn’t I?
At the trainer session we attended at Missoula on Deansgate Locks, there were some serious favourites – The Key, The Secret from Urban Cookie Collective, Call on Me by Eric Prydz and Party Rock Athem from LMFAO. These are definitely going to get you moving on the dance floor.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, where are classes near me?
This is the sticking point really – Manchester has no classes at the moment, though some in Parrs Wood are due to start soon.
But this is where you can come in – I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking a weekend class in the city centre would go down a storm. I’ve asked my gym – why don’t you ask yours? Between us, we might find a venue and a teacher willing to help us bounce around and work off a hangover.
We need to get this in the city…
With huge thanks to Clubbercise for the invitation to the trainer session and for the photographs.