Elemental AKL: Start your day the right way, with a dance party

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Morning People will be celebrating its seventh birthday during its Elemental AKL event.

Logan West/Supplied

Morning People will be celebrating its seventh birthday during its Elemental AKL event.

When your alarm rings at 5am, is the first thing that pops into your head: “wow, I really feel like a dance party?”

That’s certainly the case forJamie Newman, the co-founder of Morning People, an early-morning dance party movement that began in 2016.

The brief is simple – turn up and dance your heart out, and you’ll be rewarded with bananas and coffee – alcohol is not invited.

Morning People’s Elemental AKL event on July 29 coincides with the organisation’s seventh birthday, which will see 800 ravers take over Auckland’s Town Hall at 7am.

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Ravers will be asked to dress to impress, the way every good seventh birthday party should be, from a crown, gown, pyjamas, or activewear.

The Auckland Town Hall is a far cry from where Morning People first began, in rented community halls with only 20 people celebrating Newman’s “crazy idea”.

“It’s a strange concept to get up and dance, but we’ve normalised it over the years,” Newman said.

Newman has always loved music, and started his journey in the industry as a DJ, playing local New Zealand parties and festivals, to the iconic Burning Man festival in the American desert.

If you love to dance, and you love the morning, this event is for you.

Logan West/Supplied

If you love to dance, and you love the morning, this event is for you.

Newman has hosted 180 dance parties all over New Zealand, including a Waiheke forest.

“It’s dance music culture, without the distractions,” Newman said, alluding to the drugs and alcohol that stereotypically go hand-in-hand with the dance scene.

Newman said those who have not heard of Morning People sometimes mistake it for an “exercise fad”.

“This is just a by-product of the experience, which is about having fun,” he said.

“It’s a force for good in the community, who get to enjoy music together.”

Over the past seven years, Morning People have showcased local talents like Lee Mvtthews and Sin, as well as international DJs like Correspondence.

Morning People have danced all over, from community halls to the Waiheke forest.

Logan West/Supplied

Morning People have danced all over, from community halls to the Waiheke forest.

“The comments we often get from DJs are that they’re blown away by the crowds,” Newman said.

“They’re much more engaged, and have a higher energy than the nighttime crowds.”

Morning People’s seventh birthday is on Saturday, July 29, from 7am to 9am at the Auckland Town Hall.

Tickets to the all ages, alcohol-free rave are available on the official Elemental AKL website.

Competition announcement

Stuff readers have the chance to win the ultimate Elemental AKL experience, by scoring themselves a one night stay for two adults at the luxury Four Points Sheraton hotel, in Auckland CBD.

There are four chances to win, with stays available on July 27 and 28, and August 6.

To enter, please email emma.clark-dow@stuff.co.nz which of those nights you want to stay in Auckland.

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