The Beijinger Article
No Lights No Lycra Launches in Beijing: Shame-Free Dancing in the Name of Charity
Starting April 18, No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) comes to Beijing. The concept is very simple: you dance around in the dark for an hour, to a mixed playlist that includes classics and some cheesy favorites. It happens every fortnight, and you pay RMB 50 each time, which goes to benefit Pojie Arts.
Pojie Arts in Beijing runs two weekly movement workshops for adults with intellectual disabilities, offering a way out of social isolation for some, but also an opportunity to develop communication skills and confidence in a safe environment. These groups run off donations from events like NLNL.
NLNL is built on a belief that everyone can dance, and is a global movement providing an inclusive and non-judgmental place for people to explore this notion. The concept was first started in Melbourne in 2009.
“Many of the constraints of our modern society can be transcended through dancing in this environment, gender and sexuality become irrelevent, and space is negotiated without words or power struggle,” Laura Morgan, one of the NLNL dancers in Melbourne said.
If you’re ready to let go of your weekly stress and lose yourself in the music, here is the QR code for more information.