Daybreaker's Before-Work Dance Parties Will Get You More Pumped Than Steeping Coffee In Red Bull
There is a goat on my back, a glitter-lipped girl in an elf hat and onesie is giggling uncontrollably in my ear, and my whole world is flashing in shades of purple, red, green and blue as some ethereal voice - God, is that you? - tells me to move into downward dog. This isn't what happens when you mix Cousin Eddie's spiked eggnog with Nyquil and fall asleep. No, this fever dream of a spectacle is happening in real life. It's called Daybreaker, and you can do it, too.
If you haven't heard of Daybreaker, it's a 3-hour-long party, starting with an hour of yoga to loosen you up, then a two-hour dance-your-face-off fiesta, punctuated by healthy snacks, drinks, and the occasional surprise guest. In four years, the party's spread to 22 cities worldwide, with an event happening just about every weekday. Yes, weekday. As in, the party runs from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., and most people head straight to work after that. Shower optional, though highly encouraged.
Founders Matthew Brimer and Radha Agrawal dreamed up the idea after wanting a way to get their dance on without having some sweaty stranger grinding up against them at a club late into the night, where everyone was either high, drunk, or judging each other. "When you're dancing, most of the time, you're editing yourself," Agrawal explained. You're holding back who you really are, out of concern of what others would think - or you think you need a couple drinks to loosen up - so they set out to show people there's another way.
Every 20 minutes or so, a new surprise would erupt: breakdancing dreidels! A drag queen singing "All I Want For Christmas Is You!" Santa!
Given what an energy boost it is to get your dance on, they decided to move the parties to the morning, and focus on feeding people healthy snacks, like yogurt, bananas, granola, chia drinks, green juices, and plenty of H2O.
Every party has a theme, and people are encouraged to dress the part. Since this was Daybreaker's last party of the year - which fortuitously coincided with the brand's fourth anniversary - they pulled out all the stops. About 700 people packed Irving Plaza, donning their most horrifically tacky ugly sweaters and dancing under all that poly-blend to a mix of pulsing club beats and classic holiday jams. Every 20 minutes or so, a new surprise would erupt: breakdancing dreidels! A drag queen singing Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You!" The Santa from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! A "Silent Night" serenade by America's Got Talent star Josh Page!
Did I mention there were goats?!
Even the yoga session got an upgrade. Gilbertsville Farmhouse traveled from South New Berlin, New York, into Manhattan. The venue hosts goat yoga - which is exactly what it sounds like: doing yoga while goats wander around and hop on you - a couple times a week, and they brought the party to Daybreaker at Irving Plaza in Manhattan.
Admittedly, it was a lot to take in. I thought I'd be self-conscious, unable to dance with a camera pointed in my face - and while being totally alone in this very unfamiliar setting. Daybreaker immediately broke through any sheepishness; when a goat hops on your back and half a dozen people swarm you to Instagram it, all pretension goes out the window. Plus, after stretching, I felt limbered up and ready to get my dance on. The lights are low, the music's pumping, and it's wall-to-wall people who just DGAF. You realize any awkwardness you're feeling is all in your head, and it's easy to shake it off. When everything around you is weird, there's no shame in being weird, too.
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