Morning Gloryville: Early Bird Tam Tams
Morning Gloryville. Credit: Miriam Moreno — with Stephanie Audet and Lorie Hamel.
We’ve all tried (and failed) the 6:30 am run, yoga class, or aerobics routine but what about the four-hour dance party? Last Thursday, Morning Gloryville organized an event as yet unheard of on the Montreal fitness scene — a wellness rave. Four hours of non-stop dancing while the Kombucha flowed freely and natural, movement-induced endorphins were the drugs of choice. At the back of the main dance hall, intimate yoga classes took place throughout the day led by yoga instructors from studios across the city. The wellness didn’t stop there. A long line of eager ravers awaited free massages on the second floor of the venue while Aux Vivres and Kicking Horse Coffee provided sustenance to keep everyone dancing till dawn — I mean, till 10:30 am. This event inaugurated Morning Gloryville to Montreal. So if you missed Morning Gloryville #1, don’t panic. You will be able to dance out your morning blues in a non-judgmental, “Come as you are” rave once a month in a select venue in the city.
Credit: Miriam Moreno — with Marie-Claude Gour and Ugues Luminous.
Morning Gloryville drew a crowd as diverse as the one that frequents Mount Royal’s Sunday tams. Men and women donned lululemon yoga pants, cheetah-print leotards, florescent pink socks, yellow tutus, grey cargos, t-shirts, bikini tops, feathers, pompoms, glitter, day-glo paint, up-dos, down-dos, “just rolled out of bed” dos, and did I mention glitter? You name it, I saw it. I imagined the curious glances that some ravers received from their colleagues at their offices as they strolled in, half an hour late, with a blue wig tucked under one arm, a yoga mat under the other, and the last stubborn bit of glitter smeared on their cheeks.
Morning Gloryville. Credit: Miriam Moreno — with Jonathan PG, Jonathan Glencross, Camille Claudel, Matthieu Rheaume and Genevieve Painter.
The ear-to-ear smile on each raver’s face said it all: unlike the 6:30 am run, yoga class, or aerobics routine, you need a lot less motivation to drag yourself out of bed for a dance party. What’s more, this event shed light on just how little we let it all hang loose during the day. Getting freaky is no longer reserved for gritty nightclubs along the Main but now fits into a healthy morning routine right up there with meditation, downward dog, and your morning wheatgrass shot. I am excited to see how Morning Gloryville will expand, transform, and evolve in a city like ours where fitness and wellness trends are always changing. For the next one, I’m rooting for Hula-hoops and aerial tissues.
Get ready for round two on March 11. Sign up HERE.
All photos courtesy of Morning Gloryville.
