Rave, Family Style – Winnipeg Free Press

The dance floor rocks as the crowd sways and rocks, a sea of ​​hands waving in the air in response to DJ K-Chedda’s advice. Sparkling finger dancers, some in sequined nines and skirts, others in colorful joggers and T-shirts, engage in the dance.

The hit list is banging, the crowd is on their feet and the vibes are pure. The feeling is very nightclub.

Except it’s only 3:30pm on a Saturday, and instead of being in a dimly lit room, we’re on Level 2 at Hargrave St. Market.

And most revelers here won’t be able to get into a PG-13 show, let alone a rave.

Welcome to the Wackydoodle Dance Party, where parents share the floor with their kids and everyone has a great time tossing balloons as they make their way to Reel 2 Real’s a movement (Although, let’s be honest, this demographic will likely recognize the tune from DreamWorks’ Madagascar franchise).

The brainchild of husband and wife Tim Hoover and Carly Colpits, who go to DJ Co-op and K-Chedda respectively, these parties are aimed squarely at families with young children.

“We started it because we love DJing, and we’re parents of a young child, with another kid on the way. We wanted to do something that would be fun for us, our family, and other people with kids,” says Hoover.

The pair, who have combined 25 years as a DJ between them, perform a mix of Motown, hip-hop, funk, and charts at their events. Saturday’s lineup was eclectic to say the least, and featured Taylor Swift, KC, The Sunshine Band, OutKast, and A-ha among others.

“We started it because we love DJing, and we’re parents of a young child, with another kid on the way. We wanted to do something that would be fun for us, our family, and other people with kids.”– Tim Hoover

The two-hour free-to-attend extravaganza downtown is a definite success; The space is filled with strollers and strollers, there are balloons everywhere, and hordes of happy kids, accompanied by equally elated adults, fill the dance floor in minutes.

Dancing with his wife and kids, Justin Navarrete, 35, used to attend Hoover’s hip-hop parties, less salacious affairs that would stretch into the wee hours of the morning. This late afternoon slot (the party lasts from 3-5 p.m.) is perfect for him and his wife, Stephanie, to get together with friends who happen to be parents and hang out.

“Tim used to play a lot of hip-hop and rap, things you wouldn’t ordinarily hear or hear in a mainstream club,” Navarrete says, as the crowd around him turns to Cha Cha SlideObviously, it was a hit with Under Seven on the dance floor.

“My wife and I enjoy listening to music, we throw it around a lot in the house to try and get the kids to dance. It’s fun doing it here. It’s a good mix of kid-friendly music but there are also songs that parents will recognize.”

Maria Mikos, 32, also used to attend Hoover parties in her youth, along with her younger sister, Katina. On Saturday, the siblings brought home two new arrivals: Mariah’s kids — 20-month-old daughter Wyatt, and four-month-old son Wells.

“We used to go to those parties a long time ago. I was about 20 at the time. It was so much fun,” she says. “Now I’m here with my kids. I think it’s a great idea; it gives parents a good opportunity to go out and have a drink and get some food. They have this thing they can do with their kids. It’s different and it’s a lot of fun seeing the kids interact with each other in this way.” And also interacting with them in this way. It’s a great idea.”

These reactions are satisfactory to Hoover and Colpits.

“I think parents love to bring their kids to these events because it’s an activity the kids can be active in and we do it in places that have a bar where the parents can enjoy a drink,” says Hoover.

Dance-inducing tunes, like Chubby Checker’s Let’s turn around again or Shout, shout, shout by The Isley Brothers is a crowd pleaser, as is the perennial favourite, YMouloudia Algeria By Village People, who see everyone, under 10 or otherwise, spell letters with gusto.

“When you’re playing a kid’s party, it’s not a matter of if you play, it’s a matter of when you play YMCA. You don’t want to play it too early before the dance floor fills up or too late for people to miss it. It’s kind of special about finding the perfect moment to play it, says Hoover.

For Navarrete, the opportunity to dance with his family was too good to pass up.

“It’s great. My wife and I don’t go out much because we have kids now and I thought that sounded fun. Tim always throws a good party and now he’s throwing a good party for the kids too! We were there with a few friends, talking about getting together again and meeting up the next day” .

Hoover says he never imagined his career would go this far. DJs are still happening in clubs, but late nights no longer hold the same appeal.

“I love DJing and performing and sharing music; doing these gigs allows me to continue doing what I love and do it with context as parents. I don’t want to be in a nightclub until 2 or 3 in the morning. It was fine when I was in my 20s or 30s but Not so much now. With these parties our daughter Ellie comes and hangs with us; it’s very important to us that she come.”

“I think it’s a great idea; it gives parents a good opportunity to go out and have a drink and get some food. They have this thing they can do with their kids. It’s different and there’s a lot of fun seeing the kids interacting with each other that way and also interacting with them that way.” It’s a great idea.”– Maria Mikos

The kids – myself included – are having a blast. Taylor Swift’s music is met with loud cheers, drawing everyone into the center of the dance floor to compete and jump. A conga line forms and moves excitedly around the crowd. At first glance, if you don’t know what’s going on, it’ll look like any other night out. Except, of course, this is not the case.

Downstairs Mottola Grocery has put a special hot menu for the day’s event and hungry party troopers down the escalator to feast on mini burgers, popcorn chicken, veggies, fruit and cookies. They are fed and watered, and come back upstairs, lively and eager to get back to dancing. The party goes on relentlessly, some families stay for the duration while others get carried away a bit. Curious food court-goers – the DJ console and dance floor is located between Gusto North and Saburo Kitchen – peek to see what all the fuss is about before backing away.

As the festivities come to a close, K-Chedda ends up with let it go from frozen. It was another successful event. The children sway tiredly, yawning choking after an afternoon of hectic activity. With any luck, it’s going to be an early bedtime for everyone.

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