‘Dance in the Dark’ classes offer fitness, free expression

The idea behind SOL Dance in the Dark classes is that if no one can see you, there’s no reason to feel judged or self-conscious. Therefore, you can do whatever you want, creator Laura Interval said.

“The only job you have when you come to SOL is to listen to your body. There is absolutely nothing else for you to do,” she said.

Dance in the Dark, held at Villager Yoga on Monday nights, is part exercise, part completely uninhibited movement — all in a room that’s almost entirely blacked out.

Interval said the idea came after she and her husband went to a rave. She felt scared at first in the packed, dark room, but then she found that she loved the freedom. When they left, Interval said she wanted to bring a similar experience to others in a safe environment.

“Where can I go that’s not going to judge me, or that I have to look a certain way or do a certain thing?” she said.

She started Dance in the Dark four years ago, and now she also has a location in New Zealand, where she spends part of the year. Interval said she is considering expansion in the future.

Shannon Andrews Skipper, who now leads SOL classes at Villager, started out when she saw a flyer for the class at a local cafe and worked up the nerve to try it out.

“It took me about five seconds once the lights turned out to get it,” Skipper said. “… The music was loud and I felt like a teenager immediately, and I absolutely loved letting go without any judgment.”

Each Dance in the Dark can fit 18 to 20 people. The room includes glow-in-the-dark markers so people can remain in the same place without any other light source. Interval said occasionally people will bump into one another, but mostly they stay in their own space.

Interval and Skipper said the music is driven by strong beats and comes from hip-hop, pop, drums and genres from around the world — and they never play the same playlist twice.

“We curate it to kind of take you on a journey. It’s a moving meditation, without anybody watching,” Interval said.

“It does feel like a party,” Skipper said.

In the middle of the class, Skipper dons a pair of glow-in-the-dark gloves to lead the class through a few exercises in time with the music, and she also leads a cool down at the end. However, Interval said participation is entirely optional.

Some participants dance the entire time, while others rest as long as they want. In her experience, Interval said, Dance in the Dark allows participants to listen to their bodies and move in ways that feel comfortable, without the pressure of seeing what others are doing.

Skipper said she encourages the class to “move their own way, to try some things they’ve never tried before in the light and to honor their body.”

Interval said participants have used Dance in the Dark as an outlet for stress and intense emotions, or simply as a way to gain confidence in their dancing skills and build fitness.

“By the time the hour is over, your endorphins are through the roof,” Interval said.

Dance in the Dark is for ages 14 and older and the Monday night classes are for women only, as Interval said this makes participants feel safer being in the dark. However, they offer occasional “bring a dude” nights where regulars can invite a friend along, and Skipper said they offer private sessions for birthday parties, where the person booking the party can invite anyone.

Dance in the Dark classes are held at 7:30 p.m. and last about an hour. The first time is $5 and each class is $10 afterward, with class cards available for a lower price. Villager Yoga is located at 3150 Overton Road, #8.

Learn more about SOL Dance in the Dark at soldancex.com and see Villager Yoga’s class schedule at villageryoga.com.