Morning People run pre-work rave dance parties in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Photo: Rohan Krishnan / Morning People
Dancing in the dark from early in the day is liberating and powerful - and has health benefits to boot, a longtime fan says.
A group called Morning People runs raves at the crack of dawn in three major cities as a fun way to start a day, rather than tacking it on to the end of a night out.
Kombucha, bananas, coffee and fruit are on offer for the early risers who buy tickets and come along to hit the dance floor, often before heading off to work.
Jamie Newman from Morning People said it works by hiring a DJ and a nightclub and "then you have a party".
Two dance students in Australia had been particularly instrumental in the movement.
"They had a ball" after turning off the lights and inviting friends to "dance in the dark with them".
"The idea spread and they went to different parts of the world."
Around 12 years ago Newman and friends got the nod to start it in Grey Lynn Library Hall in Auckland in the evenings.
"It's really freeing just dancing in the dark and so much fun."
It became so popular it was held twice a night before he became aware of morning raves.
There was no dress code and people sometimes turned up in their pyjamas while others donned fancy dress.
He said research backed up the health benefits of dancing.
"It's a really positive thing to do."
While it might seem like an unusual thing to do participants found it a natural occurrence once they got into it.
Newman often got feedback from DJs that the atmosphere was better than night-time crowds because everyone was there to dance "which is very special".
While the largest demographic was 25-35 it drew a cross-section of society with people from many different backgrounds and ages who enjoyed it.
"It's really powerful and it's really cool to strip away all the distractions from dance music culture to just have it about the music and to see what it is actually truly about.
"There's some magic there."
Newman, who's an experienced DJ, said they didn't worry too much about what music they chose, as long as it was "good music".
In nine years running the morning events only two DJs had slept in, he said.
Sessions run in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch from 6.30am to 8am monthly.
There have also been one-off events including: in a forest at Waiheke, at SkyTower, at a beach in Auckland and in a street and at the Theatre Royal in Christchurch.
There will be a party in Wellington at 6.30am on 5 February at b.January while two one-off events are due to be announced shortly for Auckland.
Tickets usually cost about $25.
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