Time to dance in the dark

Shay O’Day bubbles with enthusiasm for her own love of dancing in the dark and would like to share the experience with all willing to dance like no one is watching at No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) events in Thirroul and Helensburgh.

Shay first discovered the No Lights No Lycra phenomenon about a decade ago at a Thirroul pop-up, run by NLNL Wollongong.

“The first No Lights No Lycra began in Fitzroy, Melbourne, but now there are over 75 locations across the world, predominantly in Australia but also the USA, UK and rest of the world,” Shay says.

Establishing venues in Thirroul and Helensburgh gave community members a wonderful outlet for their energy.

“It is a chance to turn the lights off with no judgement and to simply dance without care.

cheer at the end of songs and allow themselves to be totally immersed in the darkness and in the music. It is very dark at first, but you can quickly see just the silhouettes of those nearby.

“It is a really safe environment and a great balance between privacy and safety with enough space for everyone.”

Generally dancers secure an online booking but No Lights Lo Lycra Thirroul and Helensburgh still offers cash and card payments at the door.

Apart from the general organisation, one of Shay O’Day’s most pleasurable pursuits is choosing the playlist. “I get to play DJ! We have everything from swing, pop, punk, dance floor classics, world music… the list goes on and it is different every single week.

“NLNL Ambassadors work together and share playlists, which is also a lot of fun. We all have costs such as hall hire, music licensing, a fee to the wider body of No Lights No Lycra and insurance.

“It is therefore necessary that a minimal ticket cost of $10 an adult, $8 concession or a six-class pass for $50 cover these costs. Even then, we often have enough to donate to worthy causes at appropriate times, such as during Pride Month or indigenous education issues.”

“We crank up the tunes and just move however we feel for the hour. We are all there just to dance and enjoy the music.

“The Thirroul community (and its surrounds) is diverse and our dancers are equally so in age, shape, size, background and way of life.

“We are mums, dads, students, teachers, nurses, public servants, lawyers, artists and poets.

“Parents sometimes come with their children, teenagers and older people, from all genders and all walks of life.”

Shay says there is a core group of regulars, but some just come whenever they feel like it.

“There is no real commitment in attendance and we can have 20-40 people in the Railway Hall in Thirroul. People come for the music, they clap and

No Lights No Lycra is primarily about community. Since 2009 more than 500,000 dancers world-wide have joined in and a 2019 study by the University of Sydney found that 95% of participants felt NLNL improved their physical health, and 97% said NLNL improved their mental health. The top wellbeing benefits reported were inclusivity, community trust and lack of fear of judgement.

Shay’s enthusiasm for NLNL is truly generous and completely infectious.

Try it for yourself – NLNL is in Thirroul on Thursdays at 7.30pm at the Railway Institute Hall and in Helensburgh on Tuesdays at 7.30pm at Helensburgh Scout Hall.

More info on Facebook at No Lights No Lycra Thirroul or No Lights No Lycra Helensburgh or nlnlthirroul@gmail.com. Bookings at www. trybooking.com (search via postcode).