No judgement fitness and dancing classes are a hit with so many Kauri pine timber for free Grooving in the dark

l EDGE HILL

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Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

NOT-for-profit franchise No Lights No Lycra has relaunched in Cairns and is encouraging the community to dance like no one’s watching every Tuesday night.

A different approach to exercise and dance, No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) offers a safe space for people to burn some calories without judgment, dancing in a hall entirely in the dark.

NLNL launched in Cairns in 2018, and after shutting down due to COVID, sessions have returned to the Junior Eisteddfod Hall at 67 Greenslopes St every Tuesday night.

From 7.15pm to 8.15pm and for a $10 fee, Cairns residents can enjoy nostalgic playlists and try their best dance moves without fearing judgment. No bookings are required.

NLNL Cairns ambassador and Parramatta Park resident Rebecca Godfrey said NLNL offered an alternative to traditional ways to exercise.

“NLNL is an exercise class with a bit of a difference because there’s no instructor. It’s just you coming to a casual class and dancing your own style in your own way and leave feeling really good about yourself,” Ms Godfrey said.

“Because the hall is very dark, you don’t feel judged, so it’s a very inclusive exercise class.

“We get a very diverse group of people attending, ranging from early 20s up to 60-70 years old, and I’m excited for NLNL to grow in Cairns and more people to get familiar with it.”

NLNL Cairns ambassador and Whitfield resident Lu Burke said the sessions were the perfect way to unwind.

“I attended NLNL in Cairns in 2018 and fell in love,” Ms Burke said.

“Epiphany moments happen in NLNL. You plan your life in NLNL. It’s one hour of no talking but singing, dancing, and moving, and you hear songs from your teenage years.

“It’s about connecting with music, which we sometimes forget because we’re so busy.”

Currently, NLNL holds a steady 20-25 participants per session, but the ambassadors hope that promotion and publicity can increase those numbers to help cover costs.

“At the end of the day, this is a social enterprise, so we don’t do it for profit,” Ms Godfrey said. “We rely on the generosity of others to borrow a speaker, and we pay for the hall hire, so until we get sustainable regular numbers, there’s always that worry about insurance and hall hire,” she said.

For more information, visit No Lights No Lycra Cairns on Facebook.

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Edge Hill

TIMBER from a Kauri pine which was removed from the Cairns Botanic Gardens in February will be offered at no cost to not-for profit groups and local schools.

The 35m-high tree was removed in February in the interests of public safety, following the discovery of significant decay at the base of the tree.

Timber is being made available to organisations registered with Go Clubs through an expression of interest (EOI) process.

Division 7 Councillor Max O’Halloran encouraged eligible organisations and community groups to register their interest.

“Kauri is a popular timber among woodworkers, so I expect there will be quite a bit of interest in the community,” he said.

“The Go Clubs program is a great way for council to dispose of the timber to not-for-profit groups in a fair and equitable manner.

“I would urge people to get their EOI submission in quickly as it is ‘first come, first served’ and there is obviously a limited amount of timber available.”

The pine is available in full length slabs, planks and blocks suitable for woodturning.

For more information, email goclubs@cairns.qld.gov.au, or go to the Go Clubs Cairns Members Facebook page.