Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

I recently found myself watching an old Boiler Room stream – artist irrelevant – and was struck, more than ever, by how awkward the whole situation was. It was one of the more enthusiastic and less self-conscious crowds, the rare recording where you didn’t feel like cringing too much yet in the space of a few minutes the whole scenario had an air of complete redundancy. Why did anyone think this was a good thing in the first place?

I am aware that this has been said of Boiler Room since after about a month into it’s existence. Along the way it has developed lofty notions of globalising clubbing communities, or of bringing the gospel of house music (or whatever) to parts unknown, all the time thinking it was developing some sort of cultural cache. It was really for the benefit of one entity, itself. Yes, some djs were given a huge leg up in the world if they were lucky to have their stream go viral, but it also helped generate a huge divide – how more difficult would it be for someone who, yknow, didn’t actually want to perform on the platform? Dance music has always been an unfair playing field, it didn’t need any help in that regard. But now, with most dance floors around the world closed for an uncertain time, we have no better time to analyse – what is important and what is necessary in order to dance in the future. The traditional model of Boiler Room doesn’t have a place in this future.

Boiler Room is a platform based on those dirtiest of words in the arts world “do it for the exposure”. But nevermind the dj, what were we, the viewer, being really exposed to though? A simulated, falsified version of one of life’s havens, the dance floor.  We sat in front of our laptops watching uncomfortable djs surrounded by uncomfortable dancers, many all too aware that everyone and anyone was watching their every move. One of the things that makes dancing such a glorious release is that hardly anyone is watching you. I came across at least one club night that simulated Boiler Room in a club – yes, the dj faced away from the dance floor as the crowd were filmed and projected on to a screen, so they watched themselves dance. Sorry, that isn’t how you do it. That’s not a subjective opinion either, by the ways.

When we finally get to return to the dance floor it is going to be an incredibly cathartic experience for hundreds of thousands of people. And more than ever that experience is ours, to be shared only with a selection of friends and dance floor compatriots. It isn’t for public consumption – that sort of release never should have been in the first place. And why, after months, possibly years, would I want to watch other’s dance in a controlled, falsified environment? It is a totally redundant scenario for all involved. All dance floors may not be streamed for all to see but Boiler Room helped incubate and normalise the idea that the happenings of any dance floor could be open for public display at the whim of someone with a phone on them. A time is coming where we can reclaim the dance floor for ourselves.

Boiler Room’s role in the elevation of the dj as personality also feels entirely exhausted at this time. Even if restrictions are loosened, we could well be faced with an economic and societal situation that does not favour night clubs as commercial entities. Costs will be tighter than ever, and purse tightening will be unavoidable for most. And you know how you cut your costs big time? Stop booking average international djs – stop booking international djs entirely is also an option. How important really were many of these in the function of dancing?

The future will be the time for local communities to grow within themselves – to celebrate themselves.  It won’t be for an over priced personality who has great online optics but does nothing 10 djs who live within a 20-mile radius of you can’t do just as well. We can enter a time where local scenes eco-systems are not reliant on streaming platforms, pointless managers and djs too cranky to fly on Ryanair. Sure, there will always be a demand to see the world’s best and small inter-connected communities spread around other cities and countries will still want to come together – but there is a whole world of touring djs out there who may now be the least important factor in the equation.  For many who have developed careers in the recent boom times for djs, this may not be something they’ll want to see – but then look at what is truly important, your incredibly privileged position as a professional dj or the dance floors that birthed you. And what’s the point in that Boiler Room stream then?