Dancing in a nightclub from late afternoon

It is 7:30 p.m., in the middle of La Fontaine Park, in Montreal, in the chalet of Robin des Bois, a non-profit social enterprise. Inside, 400 people are dancing like it’s 3 a.m.

Among the dancers is Jean-François Bernier, 49, who loves these evenings which end early.

It’s just from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., it’s early, so those who work during the day, we don’t have to go to bed at 3 a.m., it’s nice! I come here to dance, I work in the government, in a fairly restrictive job.

I’m a very introverted person, too shy, and I challenged myself to go out here alone. It’s the only way to grow, to get out of your comfort zonehe adds.

A few feet away, arms in the air and a smile from ear to ear, is Abby Smith, 83, a retired visual arts teacher. She doesn’t want to miss any of these events. It’s the total joy of dancing with others, with good music, and everyone doesn’t stop moving!

These evenings allow him to experience his Saturday night fever, without fear of having difficulty recovering the next morning. Older people sleep less well than when we are young…she admits.

She tried to convince her friends her age to try these dancing outings, but they prefer to stay at home. They tell me, “Abby, you’re unstoppable!”

Abby Smith takes her leave of us to return to dancing, while ensuring that she will stay until the end of the short night.

It was the general director of Robin des Bois, Judy Servay, who created this event at La Fontaine Park two years ago. His desire, initially, was to offer a family space for all those who love to dance. This is demonstrated by the children running all over the dance hall.

There aren’t that many places where you can come as a family like that. When I was young, it was basement parties, the kids were there. Now there aren’t too many places where we can celebrate together.

Given the success, the evenings at the chalet became closer. Now, they take place every three weeks and tickets sell out within a few days. Judy Servay no longer counts the testimonies of love received.

It’s not just children, wise adults and elders who are wiggling their hips. Young people are also fond of these early-bed evenings. THE Wall Street Journal reported this year that 18-35 year olds are more respectful of their needs in terms of sleeping hours, and that 9 p.m. is now their favorite time to find the arms of Morpheus.

Most people here are twice my agesmiles Alexandra, 26, met at the chalet in Parc La Fontaine.

Why did she adopt these evenings? Alexandra confides that now, if it goes beyond 1 a.m., the next morning, it’s as if she was coming back from the war.

The first time she attended one of these events, she brought her 6-year-old daughter, complete with earmuffs. She did some crafts while I danced, and we left at 8:30 p.m., happy with our evening.

But this time, she came solo. Finishing at 10 p.m. is the best way to look good tomorrow. And if we want to continue the evening, it’s a good starter!

More than one meeting place

Over the last three years, other establishments in Montreal have started offering evenings for early sleepers, such as Café Campus, for the past year, with its La Boom evening.

The Rockette Bar has hosted the “Friday 6 to 10” – which existed in the 2000s in another establishment before taking a break – since 2023. Richard Poirier is one of the organizers: “We almost always have a full house! “, he rejoices.

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Individuals also launch recurring events. Brendan Kelly, journalist at The Montreal Gazettehas been organizing evenings for six years High Fidelitywhere the dance ends no later than midnight.

He claims to have found the song that gets the party off the ground every time: It is Don’t you want meof The Human League!

At first, he didn’t make a penny from his parties, but now they are very successful. It’s not my real one jobI still do this for fun, but I want to get paid!

For Brendan Kelly, his events embody a cultural change that is taking place, with people in their sixties in better shape than in the past. He created them to go out in a place where he won’t run into his children.

The journalist and organizer is surprised that many perceive nightlife in clubs as being reserved for 16-24 year olds.

If you’re over 35, people seem to say, “Why is he there?” I find it very North American. When you go to Ireland, Scotland, England, you go to pubs, there are babies, people in their twenties, that’s missing a lot here in our culture! […] The boomers, they are 65 years old and still want to go out. They are in good health, there is really an appetite, they want to dance.

Successes after closures

These spaces for partygoers which open earlier also fill a void: many nightclubs have in fact lowered their flag during the pandemic, never to reopen.

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In the UK, for example, an average of ten nightclubs have closed each month since June 2020, for a total of 480, according to the Night Time Industries Association.

The wave of these early nights started 15 years ago in England. It must be said that the ground is fertile: nearly 4 million Britons aged 40 and over go out dancing once a week.

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It was Nikki Spencer, a 62-year-old independent British journalist, who launched the movement with her evenings Haven’t stopped dancing yetwhich start at 7:30 p.m. and end at midnight.

She had the idea while waiting in line at a nightclub with her friends on a rainy London evening. For her, these events respond to a thirst for freedom for women over 40.

We were waiting in line to get into a club in Soho, and I was like, “Are we going to get turned away?” We were 40-year-old women, and we were wondering: “Are we going to be able to dance to music we like?” It was raining, we turned to each other, and we said: “Let’s go home and we’ll put on some music at my place, we’ll dance around the table!” But that’s not what we wanted to do! says Mrs. Spencer.

We thought, “Maybe there’s a place for us.” But there was no place. I said to myself: you know what? I’m going to create one!

Nikki Spencer’s parties were born in South East London. Now she organizes them all over England.

She thought she would lose everything during the pandemic and reorient herself, but her events were so successful that she abandoned her first job.

Now, on my business card, it says “disco director”! People say we changed their lives, and it’s true. Some meet at our party and then get married. People say it’s the first time they’ve gone out after the death of their husband or a family member. There are people who tell us that these evenings should be reimbursed by health insurance!

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Back at the Robin des Bois chalet in Montreal, it’s a safe bet that the dancers here too would not object to reimbursement for these evenings by the RAMQ.

Josée, 61, says she is experiencing a second youth. I think I’m more of a party girl now than before. I take more responsibility for myself, I am less embarrassed by the way others look at me.

Abby Smith stayed until the end of the evening and Jean-François Bernier swears he will be there for the next one. I’ll be there! It’s been therapeutic coming here, for me. It’s intrinsic, I can’t live without dancing. Honestly, this evening changed my life, completely!

At 10:07 p.m., the lights came back on, to boos. Finally, the party-goers regret having to stop halfway.