#Dance club hypes post-coronavirus social ‘dis-dancing’ layout

A Dutch nightclub is experimenting with social-distancing rules on the dance floor in the hopes the venue can safely reopen soon.

The Netherlands’ Doornroosje is restricting club-goers to generously separated chairs during DJ sets, allowing them to be in the club while ensuring they don’t get dangerously close to one another.

Despite the limitations, clubbers said it was exciting to be back in the space with the lights and sounds they’d missed while in coronavirus quarantine. Being unable to dance around or physically interact with others was a constraint they understood was for their own good.

“I think it’s your perfect daily dose of music, like, 20 minutes is enough, yeah,” 19-year-old Nuray Boga tells Reuters of the experience. “It made me happy.”

“I expect amazing social dis-dancing!” adds Nadie, a young female attendee.

The club, in the city of Nijmegen, doesn’t usually plan shows to start before midnight but holds socially distanced electronic music performances in the afternoon.

Promoters had initially hoped to allow clubbers to dance as normal at the events, just 5-feet apart, but authorities put the kibosh on that plan. “It’s still very cool,” says promoter Jonatan Brand. “People are still dancing, although they are on the chair, they’re fist-pumping, they’re moving their bodies, so — it’s great.”

The events cost about $11.50, including a drink, and are limited to 30 guests.

A recent DJ who performed appreciated being back and the feeling it brought of a relative return to normalcy. “It’s nice to play actually on a loud volume again, to see some familiar faces,” says DJ Davy Brandts. “I think everyone had been looking forward to it because it had been a while since you could drink a cold beer at a big venue like this.”

Still, the shows — which are also livestreamed — have not been selling out. The club hopes to begin allowing 100 guests at a time in July.