The concept of lunch-hour dance parties is taking hold around the world, with office workers breaking free from the chains that bind them to their desks for sweaty, 60-minute dance-offs in the middle of the day. The idea behind Lunch Beat is simple: for one hour, 9 to 5ers can blow off steam, get some exercise and take in DJ-spun tunes at a midday dance party.
The only requirement: “You have to dance”. And shop talk is highly discouraged.
What began as an underground movement by Swede Molly Range in Stockholm in 2010 has since spread to 55 cities around the world, with Lunch Beat parties being thrown in:
- London
- Johannesburg
- Bogota
- Seoul
- New York
- Toronto
- Paris
- Berlin
The latest city to join the worldwide phenomenon was Montreal, which recently hosted its first event at a cinema, with tunes provided by an electronic DJ.
Anyone can host Lunch Beat parties, as long as they adhere to certain basic rules of the group’s manifesto: namely, that the event be non-profit, include a lunch meal (preferably vegetarian), last 60 minutes (ideally noon to 1 pm) and be held Tuesday to Thursday. The reasoning? Mondays are usually too busy, while most people would rather get out early on Friday rather than drag out their lunch hour.
Likewise, organisers stress that the event is everything but a flash mob, and should be held far from prying eyes, namely in a closed-off venue.
So, where do we sign up?
(Source)
