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Lunchtime Dance Party Boogies From Queens to Manhattan

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | March 25, 2013 7:18am

QUEENS — A lunchtime dance party which had Long Island City workers swaying and twirling last year is moving to Manhattan, organizers said.

In April, Lunch Beat NYC will throw its first Manhattan party at Slate club in the Flatiron District.

The idea of office workers dancing during lunchbreak started in Europe and was brought by Sarah Reynolds to Queens last year. It proved popular.

Reynolds, 32, a photography archivist and filmmaker from Astoria, said that she decided to move the party “because we'd like to bring Lunch Beat to a more central and accessible location to get more people dancing and generally expand the Lunch Beat movement in New York.”

The Flatiron District is a natural fit, she said, because many tech startups are located there.

“We think the folks at tech startups will be especially keen on having a club experience during their lunch break,” Reynolds said.

The details are still being worked out, but organizers say the cost will be around what people normally spend for lunch. A vegetarian lunch buffet will be served and plenty of water will be available.

Stephanie Neptune aka Space Jam, a resident DJ of the underground TURRBOTAX® parties, will be spinning boogie, house, bass and more, the organizers say.

Reynolds said it’s possible that at some point Lunch Beat will return to Queens, “especially if more people come on board to join the NYC movement and organize their own events.”

“Ideally we'd love to see a monthly Lunch Beat in every neighborhood,” Reynolds said, adding that anyone can start their own Lunch Beat as long as they are willing to follow the general rules of the movement.

During Lunch Beat events everyone has to dance, the party is alcohol-free and participants can’t talk about their jobs.

Isha Toor, 25, a business analyst at a Manhattan software firm who is  co-organizing the event, said that future plans include outdoors parties.

“We cannot wait for summertime when we can have the event outdoors - possibly in NYC parks and open public spaces,” she said in an e-mail.

Slate is located at 54 West 21st St. The party will be held on Wednesday, April 24 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.