No Lights No Lycra - Brisbane
Contents
About
Yes indeed, this is dancing in the dark, and "NLNL" (No Lights No Lycra) is a bit of a movement. It's delightfully cheap and delightfully cheesy. There are NLNL locations all over the world (see map) and a surprising number of events around Brisbane, plus the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. As of Nov 2023 these include:
- Brisbane:
- Mondays 7:00pm – 8:00pm - Brighton (North Brisbane) - Host: Teena
- Tuesday Night 7 – 8pm - West End - Host: Teena ⭐
- Thursday nights: 7.00pm – 8.00pm - Mango Hill (North Lakes) - Host: Teena
- Wednesdays 7.30 – 8.30pm - Samford - Host: Teena
- Monday Nights 5:30pm – 6:30pm - Kingston - Host: Joanne
- Thursdays 7.00 – 8.00pm Monthly - Pullenvale - Host: Tanya
- Just Outside Brissy:
- Gold Coast:
- Mondays, 6.30 – 7.30pm - Tweed Heads - Host: Jo
- Tuesdays 6:30pm – 7:30pm - Tugun - Host: Julie
- Sunshine Coast:
- Tuesdays 6:30pm – 7:30pm - Mountain Creek - Host: Kate & Lucy
- Thursday Nights 7.00 – 8.00pm - Yandina - Host: Carly
- Noosa Heads 6.00 – 7.00pm - Noosa Heads - Host: Amber & Johnny
Be sure to check out the website locations page to get the up-to-date list of locations and event times.

I've only been to the West End⭐ one on Tuesday nights (hosted by Teena & David), so in this article, I'll speak to that but I imagine they are all very similar, and what they all have in common is they are only about an hour and only $10 (in some cases even less) to attend! I'm sure this is a huge factor in their popularity - it's significantly cheaper the gym and/or most "conscious dance" events in Brisbane.
An hour doesn't sound long enough, but it's usually high-energy music, so one hour is more than enough to get a good sweat. The lovely thing of dancing in the dark is that you might do some embarrassing workout moves and nobody really can see you - just a faint outline of a human.
What:Dancing in the dark ...(alternating). When:Every Tuesday 7:00pm - 8:00pm ... be sure to check the website. Where:AHEPA Hall, 128 Boundary Rd, West End, Qld ... (map) Cost:$10 at the door ! ... or $8 concession ... great value. What to wear:Suitable dance/workout attire, no lycra, shoes optional. Website:facebook ... (and website).
About The Venue
The hosts and venue in West End create a pretty safe and welcoming space. I consider it a Conscious Dance Event as you can truly drop your inhibitions in the dark, but the music can be a bit of a hodgepodge of dance music. It's not so much a journey of other conscious dance events - it might jump straight into techno or pop or cheesy 80s music just to get you moving. I love that they offer to mail you the playlist though, because I do like some of the songs. What's a little disappointing perhaps is that people just leave immediately afterwards - nobody really chat to each other, but that's the nature of the event, I guess... it is probably great for attracting introverts because you don't have to talk to anyone if you don't want to. I usually dance with lots of people at the conscious dance, but in the darkness, zero people dance with each other, and maybe in a way that's liberating that you don't care what you look like or about hoping people say yes to a dance, as you won't be asking! Almost everyone stays in their fixed location during the whole event facing forward towards the speakers, and might wander carefully out once to get a drink or use the restroom. The most interaction there is really - and this is a strange one - the ~30 people there all seemed to clap at the end of each song... very strange indeed. The demographic was also interesting. Many people with grey hair love this event, and several younger people (still wearing braces age) were there, but not so many in the middle! I guess that tracks because single people from 30-40 probably want to go places where they meet people. Most people who go here just want the workout without any fear of being watched or judged.


Summary
Hope this was helpful! For hardcore ecstatic or 5Rhthms people, this event won't necessarily fill your cup for connection and long a musical journey of growth. But if you want to just jam out for one hour in the dark for $10 to cheesy music, then check it out at least once!
Sincerely,
Andrew Noske
See Also
- Ecstatic Dance - Brisbane... more info about this style of dance meditation.
Links
Acknowledgements: Crystal for telling me about this, and hopefully she'll be one of the first people I go with! |