hi my name is Ellis and I love dancing public speaking not so much but I love
public speaking not so much but I love
public speaking not so much but I love dancing my parents talk about me as that
dancing my parents talk about me as that
dancing my parents talk about me as that kind of kid that had ants in their pants
kind of kid that had ants in their pants
kind of kid that had ants in their pants I was always twirling and cartwheeling
I was always twirling and cartwheeling
I was always twirling and cartwheeling and jumping around the house and driving
and jumping around the house and driving
and jumping around the house and driving everybody crazy like many kids I did
everybody crazy like many kids I did
everybody crazy like many kids I did weekly classes in ballet and jazz and
weekly classes in ballet and jazz and
weekly classes in ballet and jazz and contemporary and then I went on to
contemporary and then I went on to
contemporary and then I went on to pursue that love at university but after
pursue that love at university but after
pursue that love at university but after years and years of dancing in front of a
years and years of dancing in front of a
years and years of dancing in front of a mirror trying to move my body the way
mirror trying to move my body the way
mirror trying to move my body the way the teacher was moving there’s I felt
the teacher was moving there’s I felt
the teacher was moving there’s I felt like I was constantly comparing myself
like I was constantly comparing myself
like I was constantly comparing myself to the best student in the class when I
to the best student in the class when I
to the best student in the class when I danced for myself I felt great but when
danced for myself I felt great but when
danced for myself I felt great but when I compared myself to others I felt like
I compared myself to others I felt like
I compared myself to others I felt like I didn’t fit the mold I became so
I didn’t fit the mold I became so
I didn’t fit the mold I became so self-conscious and self-critical I just
self-conscious and self-critical I just
self-conscious and self-critical I just started to lose the love for dance it
started to lose the love for dance it
started to lose the love for dance it was when I was studying contemporary
was when I was studying contemporary
was when I was studying contemporary dance at Deakin University that I met a
dance at Deakin University that I met a
dance at Deakin University that I met a like-minded soul Heidi like me had had
like-minded soul Heidi like me had had
like-minded soul Heidi like me had had the same frustrations and joys and
the same frustrations and joys and
the same frustrations and joys and dissatisfaction with the dance world how
dissatisfaction with the dance world how
dissatisfaction with the dance world how could something we love so much make us
could something we love so much make us
could something we love so much make us feel so self-critical and so
feel so self-critical and so
feel so self-critical and so uncomfortable in ourselves how could
uncomfortable in ourselves how could
uncomfortable in ourselves how could really transform this thing that we love
really transform this thing that we love
really transform this thing that we love so much put it back into a joyful
so much put it back into a joyful
so much put it back into a joyful environment where we weren’t criticizing
environment where we weren’t criticizing
environment where we weren’t criticizing ourselves and we enjoyed dancing again
ourselves and we enjoyed dancing again
ourselves and we enjoyed dancing again the antrum turn out the lights so we
the antrum turn out the lights so we
the antrum turn out the lights so we gave it a go we booked out a Hall in
gave it a go we booked out a Hall in
gave it a go we booked out a Hall in Fitzroy and invited five of our friends
Fitzroy and invited five of our friends
Fitzroy and invited five of our friends to come and join us for what we called a
to come and join us for what we called a
to come and join us for what we called a real dance there were no mirrors there
real dance there were no mirrors there
real dance there were no mirrors there were no lights there were no steps to
were no lights there were no steps to
were no lights there were no steps to learn there was no teacher there was no
learn there was no teacher there was no
learn there was no teacher there was no one watching it was just a place for us
one watching it was just a place for us
one watching it was just a place for us to enjoy dancing for ourselves again
to enjoy dancing for ourselves again
to enjoy dancing for ourselves again because dancing feels really good and
because dancing feels really good and
because dancing feels really good and it’s a perfectly human thing to do we
it’s a perfectly human thing to do we
it’s a perfectly human thing to do we played really fun music silly music that
played really fun music silly music that
played really fun music silly music that made us laugh and we covered every
made us laugh and we covered every
made us laugh and we covered every of the dance floor the following week
of the dance floor the following week
of the dance floor the following week there were 20 people in the room with us
there were 20 people in the room with us
there were 20 people in the room with us the week after that there were 40 and
the week after that there were 40 and
the week after that there were 40 and before we knew it it had taken on a life
before we knew it it had taken on a life
before we knew it it had taken on a life of its own we called it no lights no
of its own we called it no lights no
of its own we called it no lights no lycra now eight years later there are
lycra now eight years later there are
lycra now eight years later there are seven nights running across Melbourne
seven nights running across Melbourne
seven nights running across Melbourne packed with people of all ages dancing
packed with people of all ages dancing
packed with people of all ages dancing to music from all genres there’s at
to music from all genres there’s at
to music from all genres there’s at least one though lights no locker in
least one though lights no locker in
least one though lights no locker in every major city in Australia and
every major city in Australia and
every major city in Australia and there’s about 75 communities around the
there’s about 75 communities around the
there’s about 75 communities around the world
world
world anyone can start up a no lights no lycra
anyone can start up a no lights no lycra
anyone can start up a no lights no lycra you just go to our website and sign up
you just go to our website and sign up
you just go to our website and sign up we also now have a free phone app that
we also now have a free phone app that
we also now have a free phone app that takes over your phone once a day
takes over your phone once a day
takes over your phone once a day interrupt you whatever you’re doing and
interrupt you whatever you’re doing and
interrupt you whatever you’re doing and forces you to take a dance break for
forces you to take a dance break for
forces you to take a dance break for five minutes
five minutes
five minutes stop what you’re doing and let it out so
stop what you’re doing and let it out so
stop what you’re doing and let it out so what is it about dancing in the dark
what is it about dancing in the dark
what is it about dancing in the dark that is so powerful it’s a safe place in
that is so powerful it’s a safe place in
that is so powerful it’s a safe place in the dark to be spontaneous and to be
the dark to be spontaneous and to be
the dark to be spontaneous and to be silly and to dance in whatever way feels
silly and to dance in whatever way feels
silly and to dance in whatever way feels comfortable for you at that time it’s a
comfortable for you at that time it’s a
comfortable for you at that time it’s a place to switch off from the very busy
place to switch off from the very busy
place to switch off from the very busy world that we have and to switch off our
world that we have and to switch off our
world that we have and to switch off our very busy minds as well it’s a great
very busy minds as well it’s a great
very busy minds as well it’s a great place to stretch and loosen up when
place to stretch and loosen up when
place to stretch and loosen up when you’ve been sitting in the audience for
you’ve been sitting in the audience for
you’ve been sitting in the audience for a while and it’s a great thing to do
a while and it’s a great thing to do
a while and it’s a great thing to do with a roomful of strangers so I’d like
with a roomful of strangers so I’d like
with a roomful of strangers so I’d like to invite you all to join me in a dance
to invite you all to join me in a dance
to invite you all to join me in a dance break right now if you don’t like to
break right now if you don’t like to
break right now if you don’t like to stand where you are you’re welcome to
stand where you are you’re welcome to
stand where you are you’re welcome to spread out into the aisles and if you’re
spread out into the aisles and if you’re
spread out into the aisles and if you’re feeling really stiff you can head to the
feeling really stiff you can head to the
feeling really stiff you can head to the back of the room where there’s heaps of
back of the room where there’s heaps of
back of the room where there’s heaps of room be mindful of each other obviously
room be mindful of each other obviously
room be mindful of each other obviously keep your limbs a little bit contained
keep your limbs a little bit contained
keep your limbs a little bit contained we’re gonna switch off the lights and
we’re gonna switch off the lights and
we’re gonna switch off the lights and we’re gonna have a dance right now
”
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