This party doesn’t end at the crack of dawn. Rather that’s the time when revellers get high, not under the effect of alcohol but in a spirit to dance and welcome the day on a healthy note. Shrabasti Mallik finds out more on the Daybreaker trend that can change the way Delhi lives
If you receive an invitation for a dance party at 7 am on a weekday, do not mistake it for a typing error. It could be your chance to attend a Daybreaker — an early morning alcohol free dance party. The Daybreaker, the brainchild of Radha Agrawal and Matthew Brimer, is said to originate in New York and now we are hopeful that cities like Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, too, will soon witness a Daybreaker for it’s a concept that caters to an increasing population of uber, urban health conscious who follow everything that’s chic and cool. Daybreakers are a healthy way to party. They encourage one to hop on the dance floor for two hours instead of running on the treadmill.
“It is less about partying and more about embracing the new day. The idea is to kickstart the day in the best way possible with like-minded people,” said Agrawal. It is a conscious movement and it gives people the feeling of being at a place where they belong. Within a year, the trend has travelled to most of the states in the US, wowed people in london and is all set to get Delhiites up at the crack of dawn. “Given the growing number of health and fitness enthusiasts in the city, the concept of Daybreaker will fit in just perfect. That is why we have set up arrangements in Delhi and Mumbai and will soon be expanding to more cities in India,” said Agrawal from her office in New York.
Agrawal and Brimer wanted to find a way to substitute alcohol and guilt food, which go hand in hand with late night parties. “We were having falafel at three in a morning and we felt that we needed to find a way where one can stay healthy and party at the same time,” Agrawal said. They found that ‘way’ in Daybreakers, a unique combination of dance, exercise, yoga and alcohol free drinks.
Popularity project
Daybreaker is not restricted to early morning dance, drinks and like-minded people. There are other factors that are adding to the popularity of the trend. These parties have trained professionals for guided meditation and acro-yoga. There is music and giant size puppets. From live musicians to DJs, expect a different scene at different Daybreaker parties.
“The most interesting factor of these parties are locations. People never know where it will be held and that’s the fun. In New York, we choose a club and in Canada we take it out into the Hudson Bay. In India, it is generally conducted in a gym building but we are working on more places,” Agrawal shared. If people are adventurous enough, they can always take it to the streets, she suggested.
The concept of the morning dance party has practically become ubiquitous among a certain demographic of people but Agrawal said, “The idea is more appealing to the youth but that does not stop working professionals from joining it. It is a community exercise where participants from all walks of life are free to participate. It does not matter if you can dance or not, participants can meet new people before they head for offices.” She mentioned that she found her love at a Daybreaker party in New York.
Health benefits
Daybreaker is a revolutionary idea to help improve lifestyle in today’s time and can be promoted extensively to bring out healthy, happy and more productive people at work. Most chronic diseases today are a result of late night eating and alcohol consumption. According to Kalpana Gupta Shekhawat, nutritionist and director of Freedom Diet, “The best start of the day is with healthy breakfast, physical activity and a positive mindset. If this is combined with a social get together with dance and good music, then nothing like it. It leads to production of good neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine and many more. These help reduce stress and leads to improved performance in many areas of work and personal life.”
The ideal breakfast for a morning dance party can consist of fruits, cereals, milk products and food loaded with carbohydrates. “A healthy stomach and a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. The combination of these three will not only leave one feeling energised, healthy and fit for the entire day but will also result in better productivity,” she added.
What’s in store
Although the concept has generated much interest and enthusiasm abroad within a year, fitness expert Vinay from Ozone Fitness and Spa, feels that Delhiites will take some time to warm up to the idea. According to him, “The concept of early morning dance gives a whole new meaning to party. As of now maximum participation at these parties is from fitness enthusiasts and inquisitive people who are eager to know what this is all about. The popularity of Daybreaker will spread through the word of mouth.”
Bollywood fitness expert, Nupur Shikhare, on the other hand, feels that the trend will catch up real soon and is one such endeavour which anybody can take forward. “It is a concept new to India and it has enough potential, which if tapped properly, will become a game changer because it combines free hand exercises and dance. One can take an initiative of popularising the trend by organising small scale morning dance parties in open fields across the city. It might be uncomfortable in the beginning but once more people get involved, it can be taken indoors,” he said.