Lessons from a silent disco

 Mid-bite into an almond croissant brought from an unashamedly overpriced ‘organic’ café on Tottenham Court Road, I’m momentarily distracted from the party in my tastebuds by the approaching sound of an actual party heading in my direction. If my mind had been occupied by musings more serious than whether I preferred my regular Prêt almond croissant to the one I was currently eating, then I might well have missed it, for no attention-grabbing music was blasting from portable speakers to alert me to the presence of a party. Instead, the faint, enthusiastic voices of approximately 15 adults singing the famous lines of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is what breaks me from my food-related reverie. Their voices crescendo with each successive ‘galileo’. A curious, amused expression is worn by the turning heads of pedestrians passing nearby. An employed, concentrated expression is worn by those at a greater distance from the party who squint to decipher the writing at the back of their multi-coloured hi-vis jackets. It reads: ‘silent disco’.

Source: Sky News

“They didn’t even look drunk”, my brother, who’d witnessed the party pass with me, notes after they had passed out of view. I agreed. “It must be liberating though”, I added, “like, not caring at all what anyone is thinking”. He agreed. 

On the train back, I’m filled with the sudden urge to dance. Of course, not the urge to dance right there and then. As much as I try to have an open mindset, I am not and never will be the type of person to make the fully conscious choice to dance in public with no remote concern for societal norms. However, I am the type of person to get home after a stressful day, search for a dance workout on youtube (my favourites are on Pamela Reif’s channel if you’re interested) and dance like nobody’s watching. I guess sensation is what seeing the silent disco in London reminded me of.

 What is the purpose of this post, you ask? I don’t know. I suppose, in essence, it is nothing but a virtual reminder to embrace your inner Elsa and ‘let it go’.