Consider The Dance Party
I believe dance parties, and the local communities we form through them, will have a powerful role to play in saving the world – and I’m not exaggerating an ounce.
Dance parties are the trojan horse, the Archimedes lever that can engineer a more healthy, compassionate, and interconnected society that directly counteracts the pitfalls of postmodernism, individualism, and modern loneliness.
Post-modernism
Postmodernism teaches us to deconstruct the institutions of the past. A useful pursuit, but not when the deconstruction engenders so much skepticism that you can’t enjoy some hokey fun like flailing your body until you’re dripping in sweat.
Individualism
Individualism says that “I” is more important than “we.” On one hand, it’s the beautiful undercurrent of the enterprising American spirit, and on the other, it’s the rotten core driving the world towards ecological ruin.
Dancefloors counteract the individualistic impulse moment by moment. A lively dance floor is a collaborative energy exchange – a beautiful give and take of social-emotional energy through joyful movement. I dare you to dance your face off for two hours and not feel a sense of love and connection for your fellow dancers.
Loneliness
Intentional periods of solitude are restorative, but loneliness is the root of so many societal ills. It’s implicated in depression, suicide, drug abuse, and even school shootings. The extent to which feeling unseen, unheard, untouched and unloved hurts our physical and mental health can not be overstated.
The solution to loneliness is community. It’s connection. We used to meet these needs through our religions, through living in tight-knit tribes, and even more recently through social clubs and bowling leagues. But participation is on the decline.
Many of us have no real experience of the true joys of community – of regular gatherings with people who align with our values, of deeply knowing so many goddamn people that your concentric circles of friendship extend from partner to best friends to good friends to your extended community.
Dance parties are a uniquely powerful tool for fostering community. They happen in person. They’re ritualistic. They’re inherently attractive to the young people who need community most. And – most importantly – when these nightlife environments are purpose-built for spontaneous connection, audible conversation, and a culture of friendliness and authenticity, they become a powerful solution for the loneliness problem.
Conclusion
This isn’t just about dance parties.
It’s about the dire need for intentional local communities in a world where we can’t rely on religion to create our watering holes like it used to.
It’s about our deep need to feel belonging, to be part of a group with a shared identity and purpose.
It’s about reawakening the joyous eternal call to let loose, be silly, and feel our bodies.
It’s about rekindling our connection to the transcendent mystery of the universe through ecstatic movement.
Dance parties are more than frivolity. They’re deeper than hedonism. They’re not just a drunken hookup spot.
If we start building our nightlife spaces to be the intentional communities of authentic expression and purposeful connection that they can be, the world will be better off.
Because they will have saved us.
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