BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Many people have mixed feelings about dancing. For some, dancing is freeing and fun while others find dancing to be difficult and intimidating. Now take the act of dance a step further, imagine dancing without audible music in a public place.

Dana Carr, founder of Dancing Dana Carr and community outreach coordinator at the Max Higbee Center, brings silent disco—the act of dancing with headphones on in public spaces—to Bellingham every week. Carr teaches Silent Disco and guided dance party classes called Groove to individuals of all ages and abilities. She has been “prancing her entire life” but teaching dance since 2016.

“Silent Disco is a cool way to help people tune into music more deeply, turn off their thinking brain and tune in to their expressing brain,” Carr said. “You’re safe in the song, there’s no expectation to chat.”

For people who want to regulate music volume, their proximity to others, the duration they dance or how much they interact with the environment around them, silent disco is an ideal space to get their groove on.

Carr’s class calls to individuals who would not normally spend time together and gathers them in a communal space to indulge in this form of “public frolicking.” She shared that she loves seeing the growth and comfort people develop over time as they continue to attend her classes.

“I just want to encourage people to try it,” Carr said. “A lot of people tell stories about dancing and themselves that maybe aren’t even true. I truly believe that if you are moving to the music in a way that feels good to you, honoring yourself and expressing yourself, that is a gift to others.”

The music played during silent disco features songs from different genres, decades and regions. Carr keeps a record of the playlists she uses on Spotify so that the variety of unique songs she features is available for anyone to access.

Courtesy of Dana Carr

Silent disco encourages people to not only dance and move their body but learn more about themselves and others in a non-judgmental environment. Carr sets a guideline that silent disco exercises joyful togetherness, brave authenticity, radical non-judgement and personal agency.

“Practicing silent disco every week has led me to move through the world differently. Every person I see is just somebody I haven’t danced with yet,” Carr said.

During September, there will be three Friday classes held at the Downtown Commercial Street Building thanks to a grant Carr was awarded, which gives her permission to host her silent disco in the heart of downtown Bellingham.

Carr currently holds silent disco events at Zuanich Park every Saturday and has enough gear for up to 100 participants. Classes typically start with a brief gathering and are followed by about an hour and a half of music and dance. Silent disco is free and open for anyone to join at any time during the class.