BELLINGHAM — To the unaware onlooker, the sight of 30 people dancing in silence at Boulevard Park may seem strange. These particular people aren’t simply dancing to the beat of their own drum, however. They’re all plugged into a shared playlist that is synchronized through matching headphones.
Silent Disco, hosted by Dana Carr, is a free event that encourages participants to move in ways authentic to them. The 90-minute gathering offers music and headphones. The only thing you need to bring is yourself.
“Oh, you have ears? Great, I have headphones,” said Carr, who has been leading dance experiences since 2016. “Instant togetherness. Instant belonging with the group, and then do whatever you want. Dance? Sure. Walk around smiling at people? Sure. Sit on a bench and chill? Sure.”
Carr begins and ends each disco in a circle, but participants can pop in and out as they please. There is a song for everybody, with music curated from the 1950s to current hits.
“I almost want the juxtaposition from song to song [to be] almost ridiculous,” Carr said. “Nineties hip-hop, here we go. And then the next one is Disney’s ‘Little Mermaid.’ OK, here we go.”
The idea came to her during the COVID-19 pandemic while hosting virtual dance experiences. Connection and interaction is central to Carr’s love of dancing and she found it was hard to come by during the pandemic.
“Silent Disco really felt like a cool way to help people ease back into being together with playful, simple dance because we’re outdoors, and you can be as far apart as you want,” Carr said.
The Silent Disco felt like something she needed to do, Carr said. So, despite the costs and fear it may not work out, she took the risk.
Her collection of 15 sets of headphones has grown to 100. While not all the headphones have been checked out at the same time, Carr hopes that will happen soon.
“Sometimes there’s 10 people, sometimes there’s 70 people. Whoever shows up is meant to be there, and I’m glad they’re there,” Carr said. “There’s nothing to do, there’s nothing to prove. Just show up, be alive, enjoy a playlist with other people.”
The disco has a loyal group of regulars but attracts a fair amount of pop-ins who may only stay for a couple of songs, she said.
“They didn’t know about it, they didn’t expect us to be there,” Carr said. “They’re confused and amused when they come upon us, and I don’t blame them.”
Overall, she said the reaction to the Silent Disco has been positive. The disco encourages people to challenge feelings of insecurity or embarrassment.
“I really invite people to join in a spirit of radical nonjudgment,” Carr said. “Dance seems to be one of those things that, for most of us, is an opportunity to feel your own insecurity, and then what are you gonna do about that? A way to practice noticing.”
To encourage this feeling of letting go and embracing the unexpected, Carr likes to sprinkle in some obscure songs on top of the known crowd-pleasers.
“I put in at least one song every time that I don’t like because I’m asking other people to do that,” Carr said. “To go with the flow, appreciate that someone else is enjoying it, and how is that a benefit to you?”
The recent disco held at Boulevard Park drew in its crowd of regulars, from the two best friends who spent the whole night singing along with each other to an elderly man who walked there from another live music show downtown and was ready to dance till close.
Some stayed for one song or just long enough to snap a picture of their friend’s dance moves. Others who stumbled upon the disco stayed until the closing circle and quickly became a part of the group, whether they wanted to bust a move or simply enjoy the sunset.
The Boulevard Park disco was hosted in collaboration with the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department, but Carr hosts Silent Discos regularly at different locations around Bellingham.
Another Silent Disco event will take place Aug. 17 at Boulevard Park in collaboration with the Bellingham Parks and Recreation department. Carr hosts other Silent Discos at The Portal Container Village and Zuanich Point Park.
Additional information can be found on Carr’s website, www.dancingdanacarr.com. Donations to help maintain Silent Disco events may be made via the site as well.
“We’re joy ambassadors,” Carr said. “We are prancing around in public in the hopes that it is bringing joy to our community, and we’re proud of that.”
